The Shadow of Evil
by The Crazy Talk Kid
Summary: It's been 2 years since the defeat of Nerissa and the Guardians are about to face a terrible threat with the help of old friends and some new ones.
1. Chapter 1

Well, it had been two years since the Nerissa had been defeated along with Phobos and then Cedric. Since then, Meridian was relatively peaceful excluding the occasional horde of monsters, but they were usually taken care of pretty quickly… usually. The former prince had attempted to escape once but failed miserably and he and the other monsters had been quiet since then. Elyon had become an excellent ruler with the help of the Guardians and the former rebels and had helped the people so much that technologically they were the equivalents of Earth's 1700's.

Our heroines had changed over the past two years too. Will was still going out with Matt and they were happy together and had become a formidable team in battle and on stage. Will had joined Wreck 55 as the female vocalist and the band was doing extremely well. Cornelia too stuck with her old boyfriend and they still fought like cats and dogs but stayed together none the less or maybe because they fought that way. Cornelia had become an even better skater and had won plenty of trophies and medals for her skill while Caleb had been knighted.

Hay Lin was going out with Eric and he had found out about W.I.T.C.H. a year and a half ago and stuck with Hay Lin despite his initial shock. As a gift Hay Lin gave Eric a medallion for a birthday present, which she had gotten from Yan Lin, which allows him to create minor illusions and use a few weak magical attacks. Hay Lin has become very good at designing and making clothing and has even sold a few of her designs. Taranee had broken up with Nigel and had started dating Aldarn of all people when she saw him reading a book and then they started sharing books and ideas and their relationship grew from there. Irma is still the same old Irma, making wise cracks and playing pranks. Irma had had a few boyfriends but none of them had worked out.

Yan Lin and Mira still ran the Silver Dragon without much trouble. Blunk had become quite the successful merchant of Earth goods (at least by Passling standards) and still smelled like a dumpster on a hot day. Raythor, Sandpit, and Gargoyle were doing well at being good guys and had become trusted by the people of Meridian. Kadma and Cassidy were still living peacefully in the lives they had come back to and were prospering. Strangest of all, Altermere Will had been revived from Will and was taken to Candracar to be an apprentice to the Council.

The most dramatic change was that the families of our heroines had found out, along with Eric, about W.I.T.C.H. At first they were very concerned and shocked but eventually got used to the idea and things settled down after that thanks to the efforts of Yan Lin and the Oracle, who had decided to help. Lillian had found out in the same night that she was the Heart of Earth and was extremely angry but with some gentle coxing and humiliating begging by Cornelia, Lillian forgave them and has been training with her powers and kept her three regents to help defend Earth. She annoys Cornelia more than ever.

Who would have guessed that they were about to face their greatest challenge?

…..

"Oh dark powers I call upon the, rip through time and space for me, a hole to the realm where darkness reigns, so that all will share my pains," chanted a cloaked figure holding an orb that appeared to have a raging lightening storm within. After three days his voice had become hoarse and quiet. How he hated this. Then ,after three days of ceaseless chanting, the orb floated into the air and made a portal of rippling black ooze.

"Master… are you… absolutely… sure… about… this?" asked a pale, little man in tattered grey robes. The cloaked figure stared at the little man from within the cowl of his hood and that caused the little man to cringe in fear. "I… am… so sorry… master… for…"

The cloaked figure held up his hand and the little man cringed again and silenced immediately. The cloaked figure turned to face the portal and stepped through, dragging the little man behind him.

…..

"Where are Cornelia and Caleb?" complained Matt.

"I wonder," said a grinning Irma. This brought on a fit of giggles from the girls.

"Here they come now," said Hay Lin peeking through the blinds," Awe, they're holding hands and everything, it's so cute."

"Blunk think that so romantic," chimed in Blunk who had thankfully been doused with water before coming to Cornelia's house.

"You think a walk through a dump is romantic," Irma said in a matter-of-fact voice.

"It is, Blunk take many friendgirls to dump to impress," spoke the little Passling.

"…,"

"What Blunk say?" he questioned.

"Blunk, I don't even know where to start," stated Taranee frankly.

"Friendgirls," said Aldarn, Eric, and Matt. There was then an awkward silence for a moment.

"Anyway…," said Will," I think now would be a good time for everyone to hide."

…..

Caleb was thinking about all the fun he had had with Cornelia while the others had set up her surprise party. When they were planning it out Caleb had been the natural choice to distract her. Caleb couldn't help but smile when he looked over at Cornelia and think how lucky he was. Cornelia noticed this and decided to say something while going up the elevator.

"Enjoying the view?" she said with her beautiful smile. He blushed a little at that and mumbled a _yeah. _Since she had him off guard, she decided to ask him the million dollar question on her mind.

"So Caleb… what is this big surprise that you won't tell me about?" she asked coyly.

"If I told you that then it wouldn't be a surprise," said a grinning Caleb.

"Come on,"

"No,"

"Pretty please?"

"No,"

She made a little fake pout at this which only made Caleb smile widely. Hearing the ding of the elevator the pair stepped through the doors and walked to the door of the apartment. Cornelia was first through the door after unlocking it and was surprised to see all the lights off and the blinds closed. When suddenly…

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY CORNELIA!!!" was the resounding yell from everyone. Everybody was there including the girls and their boyfriends, Blunk, Elyon, her parents and her sister Lillian, Yan Lin and Mira, and even the Oracle and Altermere Will. Cornelia was speechless seeing everyone there and all the cool decorations, which she guessed Hay Lin had done. Cornelia finally found her voice and said…

"You guys are the best!"

"That's true," piped up Irma.

"What do you think of the decorations?" asked Hay Lin with a questioning look.

"They're great Hay Lin," said Cornelia, causing Hay Lin to smile.

"We all worked together on the food," added Taranee.

With a worried look at Blunk, Cornelia asked," Him too?!"

"**NO**!!!" everyone except Cornelia and Blunk said at once.

Everyone then proceeded to have a good time and the party went smoothly except for when Taranee accidentally set the napkins on fire after Aldarn whispered something very provocative in her ear. Cornelia received plenty of cool presents and of course was extremely happy about that. Everyone had no idea that while they celebrated evil was becoming unbelievably powerful.

…..

The cloaked figure and the little man were in a reality that mimicked there own but was somehow, off. The skies were dark, colors seemed pale, and everything seemed to be in shambles. Walking in the halls of this shadow alternate reality's Candracar, the duo headed straight to the room that held the Dark Aurameres. Finally, after making it to the room and blasting away the doors, the cloaked figure made a mad dash to the Dark Aurameres and with a cry of evil glee, touched them and absorbed them into his being.

The shadows in the room all coalesced around him, as did the five elements, though they were seemingly drawn from thin air, in a swirling storm of magic. The ground started to shake and pillars collapsed causing the little man to scream and hide in terror. Fire balls fell from the sky, the winds howled, and sky was tossing and turning as though the world were coming to an end. Then, as suddenly as it started, it stopped. The little man came out of hiding to see his master standing there with an aura of darkness around him that made the other shadows of this reality appear as bright as noon.

"Master?" he asked.

"I now have supreme power now, Mutten," the figure said in his cold, evil, and cruel voice," I control the shadow tainted elements and have the power to rival the Hearts of ten worlds. I can raise and control the Dark Tainted Armies and finally have my revenge on the Oracle."

"Yes… Master… as you… say."


	2. Chapter 2

"That was one heck of a party yesterday, wasn't it?" Will said while walking to driving to school with the other girls. They car pooled to go to school so they could hang out a little.

"It was certainly for a good cause," spoke up Cornelia.

"What, to spoil you even more?" everyone except Cornelia snickered at that. Cornelia then proceeded to throw things at Irma with her telekinesis. Irma retaliated by firing small blasts of water at Cornelia. This of course led to chaos in the car.

"Knock it off you two!" screamed Will as she hit the breaks.

"Act your ages!" added Taranee.

"Yeah, stop it Corny!"

"Stop calling me Corny!"

Taranee and Will then tried to stop the fighting but were failing poorly at it. Hay Lin, who had just been sitting there, suddenly pointed. The others started looking too. All the while, Irma and Cornelia where still having a screaming match until they heard that cold terrible laughter. They all looked upon a tall figure in a black cloak was standing no more then ten feet in front of the car surrounded by an aura of shadows.

"Who is that?" Will whispered.

"I don't think he's the Ice Cream Man." Irma whispered back. Cornelia just glared at Irma for that.

"Come out and play little ones?" asked a very cold, disturbing male voice.

"GUARDIANS UNITE!!!" shouted Will as five lights went into each one of the girls. All the figure could think of was that revenge was finally at hand. After the transformation was complete, the girls flew out of the car and prepared to fight.

"Excellent, it will be more fun to destroy you when you're moving targets." The figure spoke. Then the figure proceeded to wave his arms and send waves of flames in their direction. They all noticed that the fire seemed to be off. It had a strange green color. Taranee attempted to stop it but she and the other Guardians were blown back.

"What happened Taranee?" yelled Will.

"I couldn't hold it back it was way to powerful." She replied.

"Well Mr. Inferno over their better watch out for me!" Irma said blasting the figure with a stream of water. He held up his hand and the water parted and hit to either side of him. He stifled a yawn.

"Hmm, I thought you might a least be somewhat more challenging than this. Oh well, I am tired of this game already so I think I'll just destroy you now." He spoke. The figure then waved his arms through the air and things around him started to, shimmer.

"Now this will be entertaining." He mused. Rocks started to roll into piles, miniature tornados appeared out of nowhere, puddles of water were rising up, pillars of flame erupted from the ground, and lightening jumped from his body. All of these anomalies started to coalesce into humanoid forms and there appeared to be hundreds all around them.

"Now I, Fenrir the Night Wolf, Destroyer of Day, shall… shall… Ahhhhh!" he screamed in pain. The girls were very confused and scared at this terrifying scream. Fenrir's body started to convulse at a terrifying rate and the elemental creatures started to explode all around.

"Quick in the car!" Will yelled over the noise.

"No argument here!" Irma and Cornelia said as one. They looked at each other but knew that this wasn't the time and flew into the car with the others. They all ducked as they could into the car and it shook violently and the sound of debris hitting the car could be heard. When the commotion finally stopped they got out of the car and looked around.

"Wow, this guy did quite a number on the landscape." Irma stated looking around at the wrecked street. The windows of cars and buildings alike were broken and everything seemed to be in disarray.

"No kidding," added Hay Lin.

"This Fenro guy is such a jerk." said Cornelia.

"Look what he did to my car," whined Will," My mom is gonna kill me."

"Better than _him_ killing you." joked Irma.

"Maybe…" Will said doubtfully.

Taranee who was deep in thought suddenly said," Guys I think we should do two things," the others looked at her inquisitively," One; get out of her before anyone comes to see what happens and two; ask Yan Lin and the Oracle about this after school."

They all nodded in agreement and got in the car and drove away.

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Groggily, Fenrir awoke on his thrown in the long abandoned ruins of the ancient castle he occupied. The last thing he remembered was the terrible pain and teleporting back to the castle. It was then that he noticed Mutten cowering in the corner. Fenrir lifted his hand and crooked a finger and Mutten came immediately.

"Yes... Master?" the little man asked.

"I am powerful in my own right Mutten," he mused," But I underestimated the power of the Darkness and I now realize that to utilize the full power of the Darkness that I must find outlets… lieutenants if you will. The only question is, who? "

"Maybe…" spoke Mutten hesitantly, under the glare of his master," Others who… hate… them too?"

"Of course fool! But that doesn't tell me anyone specific, does it?!" he growled.

"No… Master," said Mutten as he looked down and shook his head.

"I should destroy you right…" Fenrir spoke as it dawned on him," Meridian."

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"Huh, so this is how it will begin, interesting," said a man in a cage said while looking into bowl of water. He had long scraggly hair and beard but a handsome and youthful face nonetheless. He wore black robes but you could tell, even in the light of the rooms one torch that they were worn thin form age.

"My freedom is at hand," spoke the man with glee.

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A strange-looking, little old woman was walking down an old animal path deep in her forest home. She was stooped over and her skin was made of bark with leaves and the occasional toadstool on it but much of her body was covered by her forest green robes. Her hair seemed to be made of vines with leaves and the occasional weed or flower in it. The most striking feature about her was her aged and craggy face that had a look of calm and kindness about it. She suddenly stopped as the wind picked up and all silenced for a mere moment.

"Something is coming," she stated to herself and just started walking again. If at a slightly faster past.

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Others to who knew how to read the signs of the universe were becoming aware that something, for good or for ill, was going to change the universe forever.


	3. Chapter 3

The day at school had been very nerve wracking and the girls of W.I.T.C.H. were very anxious to get some answers. They had told Matt and Eric about what happened to them at lunch and decided that the Regents and Eric better come too. The group first went to the Silver Dragon but Yan Lin and Mira just looked like they had seen ghosts and said to immediately go to Candracar. So, they had just arrived at Candracar, the girls had gone Guardian, when altermere Will ran up to them and she seemed out of breath.

"Thank… huh… goodness… huh… you're here," said A. Will breathily.

"Catch your breath first and then tell us what's wrong," Hay Lin said with a concerned look.

"No time… must get… to Oracle!" she huffed out and then led the group to him. Everyone tried to question her but she refused to say anything until they got to the Oracle and the rest of the council. When they finally arrived they saw not only the Council of Candracar but Elyon, Caleb, Aldarn, Gargoyle, Sandpit, Raythor, Kadma, Cassidy, Blunk, Lillian, Vathek, Tynar, Julian, Drake, Ironwood, and a big rock guy. The last made the Guardians immediately fly up and get into battle formation. It was then that the Oracle spoke up.

"Be at peace Guardians, he is not a creature of the dark tainted armies. He is Golem, Heart of Aridia," said the Oracle in his ever calm manor.

"Oh, sorry," Will said looking ashamed of herself.

"Me too," added Taranee.

"Me three," said an embarrassed looking Hay Lin.

"Yeah, our bad big guy," Irma said with an apologetic grin.

"I'm sorry too," Cornelia was last to say.

"That's alright, after what happened today I would probably be jumpy to," said Golem in his rocky voice.

"I know many here have questions and I will answer them all as well as I can," Oracle said calmly," First, the Meridianites are here because Prince Phobos, Miranda, Lord Cedric, Frost, Sniffer, and Crimson were all teleported from their prison by Fenrir and he also stole the gem containing Nerissa." This caused shock among many there.

"How?" asked a shocked Taranee.

"Why?" questioned Hay Lin.

"The how is simple enough," he resumed," Fenrir has found a way to go to an alternate reality dominated by darkness but is similar to our own. This _Shadow Reality _is a mirror of our own except for the fact that the _Shadow Reality_ has only one Heart and it's properties are similar yet different from any Heart that any here possess." He paused here to let what he had said sink in.

"Do you mean that crazy shimmery thing that made all of those elemental creatures?" Cornelia asked.

"Exactly earth guardian, the Shadow Reality's Heart of Candracar has the ability to raise an army of shadow tainted elementals that could potentially be limitless and that ability is separate from its regular elemental power, which I'm sorry to say, is as strong as the Hearts of ten worlds, which easily gives him the power to teleport beings."

"As to why the prisoners were taken, I believe he wishes to use them to help ease the strain of controlling the Shadow Heart," spoke the Oracle," You see, the sheer power of the Heart is too much strain for one being to handle. I also believe that by splitting the Heart's power he can also create more shadow tainted elementals."

"So who is this guy?" asked Irma.

The Oracle hesitated and had a pained look on his face, but finally started speaking. "Fenrir was once a part of the Council of Candracar, my brother in fact. 1000 years ago, when the previous Oracle had passed, I was chosen to become the new Oracle. My brother was extremely jealous at this and thought we had plotted against him to do this. I tried to tell him that we weren't plotting against him but he stormed out. We searched for him and when we did find him he wore the Mask of Fenrir."

"What is this mask?"

"You have a brother?"

"What happened?"

The Oracle held up his hand and the questions ceased. "The Mask is and evil artifact from and age of unspeakable evil… thankfully long past. The Mask can offer one great power at the cost of one's face and never being able to remove it. It also corrupts the wearer to even greater evil if at all possible."

"When he took the mask, it made him truly evil and that is when he found one of the three Shadow Orbs. These orbs act as conduits to the Shadow Reality and he planned to use it to gain more power to take his revenge on me. With the help of the Guardians of that time, he was stopped and in so doing we thought he was destroyed and that Orb was destroyed."

"How do you know that Orb was destroyed?" several people questioned.

"We found the shards of that Orb," he said resuming his story," It was then we decided to destroy the remaining Orbs. We only found one and immediately destroyed it and when we couldn't find the third we decided it was best to let it stay lost to all. Apparently, Fenrir found that one and now here we are."

Everyone was silent for a few moments. What had just been said was starting to sink in when Raythor decided to speak.

"If e's as powerful as you say, den ow do we defeat him?" Raythor asked with a questioning look. Many nodded in agreement and others repeated the question.

"We must summon together the powers of at _least_ 10 Hearts and summon to us the armies of as many worlds as we can. That is way I have asked Ironwood and Golem to help us in this fight and they have readily agreed. We now have Five Hearts on our side and I know others that might help us and I would ask you Guardians to be our ambassadors to these worlds."

They all looked shocked and were silent until Will decided to speak and ask the question on all there minds. "Why us?"

"The other Hearts are needed to defend their own worlds and you are the Guardians of the Veil, legends on the worlds I have in mind." The girls looked at each other and did their mind link thing and decided what to do in mere seconds.

"We'll do it," was their resounding answer.

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"Where am I?!" asked a very annoyed Phobos. When he looked at his surroundings he noticed that the traitors Cedric, Frost, and Miranda were there as well as the rhino and Tracker's dog. He also noticed that they all seemed to be tied up with shadows in what to be an ancient cemetery in front of a crumbling castle. Other then that, the surrounding area was not but a dark, forbidding forest.

"Greetings Phobos," said a figure cloaked in shadows and black robes holding empty clothing and a ball and chain that looked oddly familiar," I am glad to see you are awake. Allow me to wake the others." With that, he shot black quintessence at them and they all came awake with jerks and yells as their bonds were released.

"All right, now that everyone is awake I will make my offer. You can all join me and gain the powers of the Shadow Heart to take your revenge on the Guardians of the Veil or I can devour you. That includes you Nerissa," he said shaking her jewel prison for emphasis. They looked at each other and Cedric made the first move.

"Yessss Massster," Cedric spoke as he bowed in his human form.

"I will join you my lord," said Miranda, who also bowed in her human form.

"As will I," Frost added looking uncertain.

Phobos looked at all there while the cloaked figure looked at him. "Seeing my lack of choices I believe I too will join you."

"Good, you have all agreed and yes I can hear you Nerissa. Here are your rewards!" as he said this, three lights enveloped the groups as follows; Nerissa and Miranda, Phobos and Cedric, and the last light split into to join the robes of the Tracker and Frost and Sniffer and Crimson. From their joining came horrible hybrids that reflected the evil they now represented.

"Excellent, only one more to go," Fenrir said in a whisper.

"Yes… Master," said Mutten coming out of the shadows.


	4. Chapter 4

I do not own WITCH.

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Things had not gone as planned after the meeting in Candracar. The Oracle had decided to ask the Guardians to split into two groups to cover more ground. So, Elyon was chosen to go with one group so they could fold if and when needed. Everyone was worried about the Oracle because it was so unlike him to change his plans like that.

The group of Elyon, Irma, and Taranee were now on the world of Parador outside of a large bustling city that looked almost ancient Roman in design. Many buildings looked like white marble but everywhere there were banners and colorful tents, flags, and shops. The Oracle had said that they should find the Palace of Arts because that was the home of the royal family and one of them controlled the Heart of Parador.

When they were within the city they couldn't help but notice the wonders all around them. Vendors, some human, humanoid, and some neither, sold all sorts of strange foods, exotic wares, and all sort of things that none of the girls could even begin to describe. Everywhere there were painters painting, musicians playing there songs for all to hear, and performers doing all sorts of amazing feats. The great columns of the buildings around them had them in awe, with their height as well as their often elaborate designs.

"Hay Lin would love to see this place," Taranee said.

"I love this place," Elyon said with a dreamy look in her eyes.

"It's certainly… unique," Irma said with a grimace while looking at a large blob creature selling what looked like slugs with bulldog faces.

"This is all beautiful, but I really wish we could find the Palace of Arts," Elyon said with a pout.

"Well," Irma spoke while looking at a guy with a blonde guy sitting on the corner," you could go ask that guy directions."

Elyon looked at the guy and felt a little flustered. He looked about six feet tall with dirty blonde hair and blue eyes. He wore a straw hat, a puffy white shirt, some brown pants, and some leather boots. He was playing a large lute and was singing a little tune. Most importantly to Elyon, he looked about her age. She finally got up the courage to go up to him and ask directions.

"Um, excuse me, but could you tell me how to get to the Palace of Arts?" she said shyly.

"It would be my honor to show you and your friends the way myself," he said as stood up and brushed himself off," May I know the names of the beautiful ladies I am escorting?"

"Well… um… um… my name is Elyon," she spoke while blushing furiously.

"Irma."

"Taranee."

"My name is Dorian," he said with a bow.

"It is our pleasure to meet you," Elyon responded.

He nodded to himself while looking thoughtful and then said," If I am not mistaken you two are Guardians of the Veil and you Lady Elyon are Queen of Meridian."

"You know who we are?!" said a very shocked Elyon.

"Yes, you are all very famous thanks to the tails brought to our world by a small Passling trader, whose name escapes me," he stated simply.

"It wouldn't happen to be _Blunk_ would it?" asked Irma.

"Yes, that's exactly it, do you know him?" he asked.

"He's a friend of ours," Taranee stated.

He merely nodded and smiled at that and then led the way. While walking he talked to the girls, mainly Elyon, about the city and a few questions about themselves, all the while playing on his lute. When they finally arrived in front of a large, beautiful looking building, something very unexpected happened.

"Thank you very much for showing us the way," Elyon said while looking at him with a dreamy look.

"It was no trouble and a pleasure to escort you ladies to your destination and I would be shamed if I did not introduce you to my parents," he said while walking up the steps to the great golden doors.

"What do you mean?" Taranee asked stopping halfway up the steps to look at him.

"Well I assume you are here to see the royal family correct?" he questioned and waited for them to nod and then continued," I am the Prince of Parador and holder of the Heart."

"That's great," Elyon said with a smile," We need your help on an important matter."

"Well, come inside, we can discuss this immediately," he said adopting a serious face.

_One hour later…_

The girls had taken turns explaining the whole situation to Prince Dorian and the King and Queen over tea. The royal family carefully and patiently listened and only interrupted when they had a question. Elyon, when not explaining something, starred dreamily at the prince.

"So, if we cannot gather enough Hearts, this Fenrir will destroy us all then?" he asked with a thoughtful look.

"Yes," responded Taranee.

"Now that I know this is the case I will gladly help you. And…," he took a drink of tea and then continued," I know someone else who I'm sure will help us."

"Who?" asked Elyon.

"The Prince of Jaxel," he said.

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On Meridian, the royal palace was abuzz with activity. Soldiers hurried through the halls as did curries, scribes, and every other type over servant imaginable. All of this was because the Meridianites were readying for possible war with the Shadow Tainted Armies. At the center of this madness were Julian, Caleb, Aldarn, Tynar, Vathek, Drake, and Raythor.

"How many have come from the east?" Caleb questioned a messenger.

"1000 so far sir," he said.

"I see… Raythor and Drake I need you two to go check on the new recruits and see what they can do. Vathek and Tynar, I need you two to arrange guards for the supply shipments and check that everything is going well. You go tell your captain to keep up the good work and keep me updated," Caleb said to the messenger last.

"Yes sir," was the resounding answer from those named and they went to their appointed duties.

Caleb then proceeded to sit down in the only chair in the room that wasn't piled with reports. That was one of the few flat surfaces not piled with papers. He let out a long sigh because this was the first time in four hours he had gotten a break.

"You look worried son, what's wrong?" asked Julian with a concerned look.

"I'm just worried about Cornelia, I mean, this guy is dangerous and powerful and has a vendetta against my girlfriend and the rest of the Guardians," he said.

"I know exactly how you feel," Aldarn agreed," But Taranee, Cornelia, and the others have fought against steep odds before this and they always came out on top and I have faith they will do so this time as well."

Julian gave his son a reassuring smile and a pat on the shoulder. After that Caleb felt a little better until a new wave of messengers came into the room.

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"Matt, what's up man, have you heard anything from the girls yet?" asked a very concerned Eric over the phone.

"Dude, it's only been two hours since they left," Matt growled more then a little annoyed at the third call from Eric.

"I'm sorry man, it's just that if this Fenrir guy gets Hay Lin, it would kill me ," said a very concerned Eric. At this sentiment, Matt thought how he would feel if anything happened to Will and knew that Eric was just concerned.

"Hey man, I'll tell you what," said Matt with a more sympathetic tone," If I hear anything you'll be the first person I call."

"Okay, thanks dude," said a calmer sounding Eric who then hung up the phone.

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"Napoleon, do you think that Cornelia and the others are going to be okay?" asked Lillian during her lesson.

"Hey kid, don't worry about it. They can handle themselves," Napoleon said reassuringly.

"I guess your right… so can you teach me to shoot laser beams from my eyes today?" she asked excitedly.

"Sorry kido, not today, I don't think my tail can handle another fire so soon."

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"I now have two of the factors I need to make my fourth lieutenant thanks to Narissa's mind and life force and I believe it is time that I go see one Mr. Matt Olsen and one Mr. Huggles on Earth," said Fenrir partly to himself and partly to Mutten.

"Yes… Master," he replied.

"The lieutenants?" he asked with a growl.

"On… their ways… to their… targets," he answered fearfully.

"Excellent," Fenrir said followed with a long, villainous laugh.


	5. Chapter 5

Elyon, Taranee, Irma, and Dorian had arrived at the Scholar's Gate, which was in the center of the city, after two hours of preparation, to go to Jaxel. This was a permanent fold/portal so that the two worlds could share knowledge and information. The actual gate itself was quite simple, a stone base with a column to either side and a stone lying on top of the two columns.

"So how does this gate thing work?" asked Irma.

"With a mere touch," Dorian said and then touched a column and lo and behold between the columns was an image of another world.

"Now, we step through," he spoke while offering Elyon his hand.

She took his hand and they stepped through together while Irma and Taranee both flew through. The world they had entered looked very different from the world they had just come from. Buildings here seemed to be as tall as skyscrapers and appeared to be bronze, steel, and iron. There was still a variety of people, but a third of the people here seemed to be made of metal and gears. A few people stopped and looked at them but the rest seemed unconcerned.

"Welcome to Jaxel," said the voice of a man walking towards them.

"Hello old friend. Ladies, this is Prince Garret," Dorian said hugging the newcomer," Allow me to introduce Queen Elyon of Meridian, Taranee Cook the Fire Guardian, and Irma Lair the Water Guardian."

"It is a pleasure to meet you all," he said while stealing a glance at Irma.

Irma noticed this glance and blushed a little and looked this new prince over. He was about six feet tall and he had brown hair and green eyes and he looked more built than Dorian. He wore a pair of glasses, a white shirt with a blue vest, a blue, hooded cloak, some blue pants, and a pair of black boots. He carried a sword at his hip which had some gears coming out of the hilt.

"Back at cha," said Irma with a smile.

"Thank you very much," he said smiling right back at Irma," So, I take it this is a business visit Dorian."

"Yes it is, I'm sorry to say. You see, there is an evil being that wants to destroy everything and we have come here…" he never got to finish what he was saying as a large creature came from a fold in the sky with a terrible roar.

"Hello sister, Guardians. I am Pyros," spoke three voices that sounded eerily familiar.

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Will, Hay Lin, and Cornelia had been walking around the forests of Golias for four hours. Not to say that it wasn't beautiful but they really needed to find this world's Heart. Trees were all around them that would put redwoods to shame and flowers that looked so beautiful that roses seemed like weeds. Hay Lin, of course had to look closely at all the natural wonders of Golias, not that Cornelia or Will objected much.

"The Heart isn't exactly helping much," Will said as she was flying around.

"Maybe if we followed an animal trail?" Hay Lin suggested.

"Sounds like as good idea as any," Cornelia said.

"All right, we follow…" Will didn't finish her sentence because she had to dodge a spider web shot at her.

"Who's out there?!" Cornelia yelled at whoever had attacked her friend.

"Greetings Guardians, long time no see," said two female voices they dreaded hearing.

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Caleb was now just now getting the new reports the messengers had brought when he heard what sounded like and explosion from outside. Everyone stopped in their tracks and Caleb just looked at his father and Aldarn. Within seconds he jumped out of his seat and was followed by Julian and Aldarn to see what had happened. Making it to the front gates, he looked out to see a figure that he both recognized and had never seen before riding on a hideous beast. This new threat now turned to face him.

"Ah, it's you boy, I am Aquos, your doom," he said readying for a charge.

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Matt had decided to take a walk to think about the fight that was to come. Of course, Mr. Huggles had to come along to keep him company. It was as he was turning the corner that he sees a bald, ragged looking little man in gray robes.

"Excuse me… are you… Matt… Olsen?" the little man asked cocking his head to one side a little.

"I might be… who wants to know?" Matt questioned, readying to go Shagon if needed because Huggles was freaking out.

"My… Master… commands… that… you give… him… your… better half," he said looking hungrily at Mr. Huggles.

"Your _Master_ is not hurting Will!" Matt Retorted as he and Mr. H changed into their fighting forms.

What happened next happened in seconds. The little man turned into a mass of writhing grey tentacles and tackled Kor while a black light hit Shagon in the face knocking him to the ground.

"Mr. Olsen, it is nice to meet you in person," said a cold voice," I have seen you in memories of your mother and visions. Now I'm seeing you mask to mask. I am Fenrir the Night Wolf."

While he was trapped in the beam of dark energy, he could only focus on the tremendous pain and the face of Fenrir. Fenrir had his hood back and the mask he wore seemed to be made of stripes of black leather that had many very visible seams that seemed sloppily sewn together. All you could tell was the vaguest area of where the eyes, nose, and mouth were. Over the right eye, an especially dark patch in the shape of a wolf's head was emitting the dark energy that probed Matt's mind.

"You see Mr. Olsen there are a few things you misunderstand," mused Fenrir," When I said _better half_, I meant what was left of the true Shagon in the very depths of your mind. And as for me not hurting your beloved Guardian… I will do what I want when I want and there is nothing a weak little boy like you can do about it."

And with a scream, Matt passed out just as a green orb of energy was taken from his mind. Fenrir then proceeded to take an orb of red energy from the mind of Mr. Hugggles who also passed out. Mutten then turned back into his human form and then attempted to eat the sleeping dormouse.

"Don't eat him you fool!!" Fenrir yelled at Mutten who immediately dropped the little dormouse," I want them alive so they can suffer you little fool. I'll send them to Candracar and then I will recreate Shagon into my perfect lieutenant."

Fenrir waved his arms over the unconscious boy and dormouse and they were instantly teleported to Candracar and then he and Mutten were instantly teleported to Fenrir's lair. The alley where the brief struggle had taken place was empty as if nothing had ever happened.

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The Oracle was sitting in his room meditating. His mind was clouded by the events that had happened over the day and the events that would unfold. He still couldn't believe that his brother was the terrible evil. He had put the past behind him, but now he wasn't sure. It was then that A.Will burst into the room.

"Oracle, two of the Regents of Earth appeared here just now and the others told me to tell you," she said in a rush," Oh, and they also told me that Matt and Mr. H had their negativity stolen as well. What does it mean?"

"It means that Fenrir plans to not only have another lieutenant, but this one will feed off of negative emotions as well," he said frowning.

"Why not destroy them too?" she asked.

"Because he wants to crush us together so he can truly break us," the Oracle said while standing up and then continuing," I must go to the Guardians to warn them. I believe that Jaxel should be my first destination."


	6. Chapter 6

**Thanks to everybody who reviewed.**

**CCrox4Eva, yes Aldarn and Taranee are a couple and thanks for the idea.**

**If you read this story please review.**

**I do not own WITCH.**

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The creature that now stood in front of the group on Jaxel was truly a twisted being. The head seemed to be Cedric's snake form's face facing them and then one notices the face on either side of his head. These faces belonged to Cedric's human form and Phobos. He wore robes similar to those of Phobos that ran halfway down his huge tail length that now had four gigantic dinosaur-like legs. He has two great normal arms and four smaller humanoid arms on his front. On his back were four huge pairs of wings made of pure shadow. Pyros was a terrible sight indeed.

"Whoa, you could put Frankenstein to shame," Irma said.

"Mock us as you will but know that you only hasten your doom!" Pyros roared and then started throwing huge black fireballs at the group.

Dorian started strumming on his lute creating a force bubble to shield himself and the others from the fire while Irma shot a water blast at Pyros. Elyon shot beams of energy at Pyros while Garret drew his sword whose one blade became five and he started shooting water, earth, and quintessence blasts. Taranee was trying to help people get away because fire attacks wouldn't have exactly have been helpful.

Pyros then attacked Elyon directly but was stopped by Dorian, who, with the help of Irma and Garret, hit Pyros with a huge ice ball. With lightening speed, Pyros hit Garret with his massive tail and knocking him into a building. The others continued their attacks.

"Attack his legs!" Garret yelled getting up from the blow.

The others did just that causing the big reptile to falter and fall. No matter what Pyros did he couldn't regain the upper hand. He decided it was time to retreat. He shot a huge fireball at Garret that partially hit his left arm and rest hit the building behind him causing it explode and rain shrapnel.

"You have not seen the last of ussss! Next time we sssshall succeed!" Pyros said before teleporting away.

The others immediately went to Garret and Irma was freaking out.

"Oh my god, are you okay. You have to be okay. Quick, somebody get a Doctor!" Irma said.

"I am fine, I assure you," he said calmly.

"Your arm is still smoking!" Irma said.

"No need to worry, my arm is clockwork, mechanical," Garret said and then proceeded to remove his left forearm at the elbow.

"You mean, you're a machine!?" Irma said shocked.

"Just my arm," he said and then continued," Damn, I was just getting used to this arm too."

Irma was about to say something when another fold opened. Everyone got ready for another fight until they saw the Oracle step through. This caused everyone to relax a little.

"It is as I feared," the Oracle said looking around," The others are being attacked on Golias and Meridian. You must hurry and I would ask you both to help us."

"Of course," Dorian and Garret said without hesitation.

"I have to get back to Merdian immediately!" Elyon said making a fold to Meridian.

"I shall accompany you Elyon," Dorian said following her through the fold.

"Fear not, Guardians. I will make a fold to Golias," the Oracle said and then did just that.

"Alright, let's go Taranee," Irma said.

"I would be dishonored if I did not help you and your friends," Garret said looking at Irma.

She looked uncertain at this and stared at his missing arm. Taranee however, did not hesitate.

"We could use your help," Taranee said.

He nodded and the group of three went through the fold. The Oracle merely sighed and new he must now explain what happened to the King, Garret's grandfather. That was only a small worry compared to what he would have to ask of Yan Lin later.

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"Narissa!? Miranda?!" said the three Guardians as one.

"Not quite, we are now Hurricana," said the vile creature that came out from behind the tree.

The monster that stood before them was the vilest any of them had ever seen. The basic body of the creature was Miranda's spider form except that it was three times as big. On the front of the body were the frail, withered looking arms of old Narissa holding her little staff. The head was extremely disturbing because the neck was serpentine coming out from the body and the head was that of old Narissa with Miranda's four blue eyes. She was truly hideous.

"You're going down you old hag!" Will said preparing to fight.

"You young whelp," Hurricana growled," How do you plan to defeat us when there are only three of you and we have the power of two Hearts?"

The three Guardians wondered about that themselves. They didn't have much time to think about it though, for Hurricana attacked shooting spider web nets that caught Cornelia and entangled Hay Lin's wings and hit Will with a blast of wind and knocking her into a tree.

"Now that was too easy," Hurricana said smugly," Now we will destroy you for all the trouble you caused us."

She walked up to Will and raised her clawed hand and prepared to strike when she was hit by a combined blast of water, fire, and quintessence. The three Guardians looked over to see their two friends and a one armed guy about their age with a sword.

"How dare you interrupt us!!!" Hurricana screamed as she was about to strike back with a twister but two huge vines grabbed her and hurled her into a tree. Everyone was perplexed by this because Cornelia was being freed from her web prison and Irma and Garret where helping Will and Hay Lin. They looked to see a little old woman in forest green robes whose body seemed to be made of plant matter.

"Are you all right dearies?" she said in a kind old voice.

"We're a little grazed but we'll survive," Hay Lin answered.

"That's good to know dearie. Oh, by the way my name is Crone," she said with a smile," Shall we take down this hag now?"

Will got up on unsteady feet with the help of the now free Hay Lin and Irma and stated with the utmost seriousness," With pleasure."

"You may have won this time but next time you shall not be so lucky!!!" Hurricana said and teleported away.

"Thank you Lady Crone," Garret said while bowing," These ladies are the Guardians of the Veil and I am Prince Garret of Jaxel."

"I know who you all are and why you are here," she said looking at the shocked look on the faces of all there," I sensed what is coming and have been looking for you all day."

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but we have to help Elyon on Meridian, there is an attack there too," Taranee said.

"Caleb is there. We have to hurry," Cornelia said worriedly.

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Caleb was staring at the most disturbing duo he had ever seen. The man sitting atop the beast looked like Frost except very gaunt, had red eyes, and was wearing the clothing and hat of the Tracker. He was carrying a large Hammer in one hand and in the other he held the Tracker's glowing ball and chain. The creature he was riding on was absolutely hideous. It was about eight feet long and was covered in a scraggily coat of dark black fur. It had a huge horn on its dog-like head, two twisted tusks, the front legs of a dog and the back legs of a rhino, and a long, spiked tail made of pure shadow.

"Who and what are you," Caleb said while squaring up for a fight.

"We used to be Tracker and Frost, but we are now Aquos," he said getting ready to charge," My faithful pet used to be Sniffer and Crimson, but he is now Snout."

"No matter what you call yourselves, you're still nothing more than a glorified flunky," Caleb said, his voice dripping with contempt.

"How dare you, you little fool!!!" he said as hundreds of little bats made of foul looking water came from his robes at Caleb who couldn't dodge in time.

Sandpit was there instantly and took out the bats in a storm of sand. Gargoyle charged Aquos from behind but just before he got into attack range, Aquos jumped off of Snout and then Snout pounced on Gargoyle. Aquos turned to face Sandpit and Caleb along with Julian and Aldarn and the newly arrived Raythor, Tynar, Vathek, and Drake.

"Well, well, well, I see all of you are here together," he said with false sweetness," Thank you very much, now I can destroy you all in one fell swoop."

Snout squealed loudly causing Aquos turn to see what had happened. He saw that Snout had been hit by a combined energy blast from Elyon and Dorian. Just as Snout was retaliating with a blast of putrid water, Sandpit hit Aquos with all his weight sending the villain sprawling.

"Snout, come!" Aquos said and jumped up on Snout when he was close enough," Next time you won't be so lucky, but for now…"

From within his cloak came a huge tentacle of water that grabbed Caleb and dragged him in. Then, in the blink of an eye, he teleported away. This caused shock among all there. It was at that second that WITCH, Prince Garret, and Crone folded onto the scene.

"Is everyone all right?" Hay Lin asked immediately.

"Caleb was kidnapped!" Elyon said.

"What!?" Cornelia shrieked.

The Oracle then folded onto the scene and said," Come with me to Candracar everyone, we need to talk."

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"You fool!" Fenrir screamed at Aquos," You idiot! You only had to do one simple thing and you fail me instantly!"

Caleb was lying unconscious but alive on the floor of Fenrir's lair. Aquos on returning to the lair, along with Pyros and Hurricana, was hit with a powerful blast of quintessence releasing a nearly drowned Caleb. He then proceeded to give Aquos the tongue lashing of a lifetime.

"The next time that one of you fools think to take a prisoner or do something against my wishes, I will destroy you in the most painful way I can conceive!" Fenrir said and then with the wave of his hand teleported Caleb to Candracar.

"Now that that is over we can get down to the business of my fourth lieutenant," he said hold up the two orbs of energy he had gotten from Matt and Mr. H.


	7. Chapter 7

The meeting on Candracar was… interesting to say the least. Will had been hysterical to find Matt injured and unconscious along with Mr. Huggles. During the whole time Will was freaking out, everyone was trying to comfort Cornelia as well. Minutes after arriving at Candracar, Auramere Will rushed into the main hall and announced she had found Caleb unconscious which caused Cornelia to rush at Caleb who was being carried in on a stretcher.

After a half an hour, order was finally restored and explanations of what had just happened were given. The Oracle explained that with the help of the three new Heart holders they could now enlist the help of the other Hearts that the Oracle had in mind. He then explained that he and the former Guardians would personally ask the Heart of Ulzbor to help. When everyone asked why, the Oracle said it was because they were old acquaintances and said nothing more on the matter. The Oracle then told the group that he had explained the situation to Garret's grandfather and now the armies of Jaxel were readying for war. The king had sent a replacement mechanical arm to give to Garret who readily accepted it.

It was then decided that a few of the Heart holders should pair up in case of another attack and put a type of magical alarm on the undefended worlds. Golem went to Zamballa to assist Ironwood since Aridia really didn't have anybody to attack and Crone went to Meridian to help Elyon in case of trouble. By this time Matt and Mr. H. had woken up and were obviously going back to Earth with the Guardians. Cornelia decided to stay on Candracar until Caleb woke up. After all that, everybody folded back to their respective worlds.

The girls of WITCH and Matt were making calls to explain why they were so late and to explain the situation to their parents in the basement of the Silver Dragon. They decided that it was best if they stuck together so they decided to stay the night at Hay Lin's house. It was then that Prince Garret folded into the room.

"Excuse me if I am interrupting," he said," May I speak to you Irma… alone?"

"Ummm…" Irma said looking down at her feet.

"Well, everyone we better go do that thing we have to do upstairs, right?" Will said.

"What are you talking about? We don't have anything to do upstairs," Hay Lin said absentmindedly.

"You know that _thing_ we have to do upstairs," Taranee said giving Hay Lin a look that said they had to go upstairs.

"Oh yeah, that thing," Hay Lin said with a bit of a blush. Everyone walked up the stairs out of the basement and closed the door behind them.

"So, Garret what's up?" Irma asked with a nervous smile.

"This is hard for me to say so excuse me if this sounds awkward, but… when I saw you walk through the gate I thought you looked beautiful and you seemed like a fun person," he spoke while taking a nervous breath," When you saw that I only had one arm you seemed… disturbed by the fact and I don't blame you and…"

"It's not that I'm 'disturbed' by the fact that you have one arm, I mean I was just shocked because I didn't realize…" she trailed off.

"I understand that some people can't like somebody with one arm and well I wouldn't blame you if you couldn't like me that way," he said and looked away.

"Garret," she said and hesitated for a moment and then decided," I would like to get to know you because you seem like a cool guy and I was wondering if you would like to go out on a date or something?"

"Well!" he said smiling," I would love to but I have just one question first."

"Shoot."

"Why is it good to be cold?" he asked.

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After explaining things to Garret, they scheduled a date for the following night which just happened to be Saturday. Garret made a fold to his home feeling much better with an extra spring in his step. Irma skipped up the stairs with a smile on her face and when she opened the door and came out she was immediately bombarded with questions from everyone except for Matt who had gone home with Mr. Huggles.

"What happened?"

"What did he say?"

"What did you say?"

And a million other similar questions.

"Whoa ladies, calm down," Irma said grinning," I will tell all at our little mutual defense slumber party."

With that the girls went to Hay Lin's home and where chatting all the way. They never saw either of the strange creatures on top of the building across the street. One looked like a suit of armor with nothing but a pendulum where his midriff should be. The other looked like a sickly humanoid rat that was built like a tank. When the girls were out of sight, they merely looked at each other and disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

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When Garret arrived back on Jaxel he immediately noticed all of the people and Clockwork Folk running around. He headed directly to the palace and only stopped to talk to an acquaintance. Everyone was rushing around doing a million different tasks. Upon arriving at the royal palace, he saw the utter chaos all around. He stopped a servant and asked where the King was.

"I believe he should be in the War Chambers my lord," he paused a moment and then continued," The royal family of Parador is there as well."

"Thank you very much," Garret said smile.

"Of course my lord," he said and then continued his task.

Walking through the palace Garret couldn't help but think of the last time that the palace was like this. They were painful memories of the Guild Wars against the Alchemist Guild that had ravaged both Parador and Jaxel and had killed Garret's parents. He was seven when the war ended and his grandfather had become king again until Garret was ready. When he finally arrived at the War Chambers he was a mix of joy, sadness, and worry.

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Elyon was sitting on the balcony to her room just thinking about what had transpired over the day and what was to come. She looked out over the city and thought about what would happen to her home. Elyon watched the guards and servants running around and thought about how many would survive. She thought about Dorian and how handsome he looked.

"Are you all right dearie?" Crone asked with a concerned look on her weathered face.

"Hmm… Oh, yes I'm fine. I was just thinking," Elyon said distractedly.

"About that handsome young prince from Parador?" she said as more of a statement than a question.

"Is it that obvious," Elyon asked.

"A little, but only to us girls," she said with a wink and a big smile.

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On Candracar, Cornelia was still watching over Caleb and talking to Auramere Will as well. Everybody else was either sleeping or someplace else.

"Luckily the others said he just needed some rest Cornelia," A. Will said in a comforting voice," You've had a long day too, maybe you should rest."

"You're probably right, but I just can't sleep because I'm too worried about Caleb," Cornelia pouted.

"You know what I do when I'm worried?" A. Will asked suddenly.

"No, what?"

"I think about what I want my name to be," she said with a far off look.

"Uh, I thought your name was Will?" Cornelia asked a little confused.

"That is Will's name," A. Will said," I'm not Will. I'm a whole new person and while we're similar I am different so I want a new name to reflect that."

"I never knew you felt that way," Cornelia said.

"To be honest, you're the third person I've ever told," A. Will responded.

"Who are the other two?" Cornelia asked.

"Will and the Oracle," A. Will said and then continued with a yawn," I'm going to bed now, good night."

"Night," Cornelia said processing the information and worrying about her unconscious boyfriend.

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Yan Lin couldn't sleep that night because she just couldn't believe that the Oracle wanted help from him. After what that pompous ass did to her and the other former Guardians he should stay looked up on Ulzbor until he rots. She also knew that without him they were likely to lose. Yan Lin couldn't sleep because of all her conflicting emotions about this man.

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"We need about three days to make Shagon anew my minions and we need to work together to make him," Fenrir said to his assorted lieutenants.

"How do we do thisss Masster?" Pyros asked irritably.

"We sit in the circle and concentrate our dark powers on the Orbs you stupid serpent," Fenrir retorted and then turned to Mutten and said," Mutten, go to those miscreant Guild members and tell them to keep an eye on the enemy and no more."

"Yes…Master."

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**That was chapter seven and it was a bit slow but I hope you enjoy it anyway and I promise the next chapter will be better.**

**Please review. **


	8. Chapter 8

Caleb woke up with a splitting headache. Once he was awake enough, he looked around at his surroundings. He guessed he was in Candracar and at that moment he noticed Cornelia was asleep in a chair not five feet away from him. When he tried to get up he fell back with a groan because he was too weak. It was loud enough that it woke the sleeping Cornelia.

"Hmm… what?" Cornelia said groggily and then looked around.

"Morning," Caleb said weakly. Cornelia on realizing that it was Caleb immediately jumped out of her seat and ran over to him and kissed him deeply.

"That's a nice way to start the day," Caleb said with a weak grin after Cornelia finished kissing him.

"Don't you ever scare me like this again or I'm gonna kill you," Cornelia said smiling down at him.

"I don't plan on it any time soon," he said still grinning back at her. It was then that they started to go in for a passionate kiss and then…

"Breakfast!" A. Will said walking in with a tray full of food. The two lovebirds separated immediately and started blushing. Auramere Will was oblivious to this fact.

"Glad to see you're awake Caleb," A. Will continued," The others say you'll just need to rest for the day. Cornelia the rest of the Guardians should be here in about an hour, so if you want to freshen up I'll show you to the washrooms after you eat."

"Thanks," Cornelia said looking at the food ravenously since she hadn't had anything to eat except for a small snack last night.

"Yeah, same here," Caleb added.

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After breakfast, Cornelia followed A. Will to the washrooms. Auramere Will could tell Cornelia had something on her mind so she stopped halfway to their destination and asked her question.

"What's wrong Cornelia?" A. Will said looking concerned.

"I was just thinking about what you said last night and… I thought of a name that I think you would like," Cornelia said somewhat timidly.

"Really?" she said a little shocked.

"Well yeah," Cornelia responded.

"What is it?" Auramere Will asked with a curious look on her face.

"Aurora," Cornelia said with a hopeful gleam in her eye.

"Hmm… Aurora. My name is Aurora. I am Aurora. Aurora," she said with a thoughtful look on her face and then a big grin," I like it."

"I'm glad to hear that Aurora," Cornelia said with a reassuring smile.

"Thanks Cornelia," Aurora said and started walking again followed by Cornelia.

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Everyone that was going to go on a recruitment mission was now assembled in the main hall of Candracar. The already powered up Guardians, Prince Garret, Prince Dorian, all three Regents, and Crone were assembled. The Oracle then spoke to all of them.

"I thank you all again for your assistance. Now, down to business," the Oracle said adopting a more serious tone," The two worlds I have in mind for you to go to are Arthrosia and Imtal. Arthrosia is a world that is populated by Arthrotaurs that are similar to the mythological centaurs, except they are arthropods instead of horses, and the Heart is held by a boy King. Imtal is populated by three separate species known as the Harpies, the Merfolk, and the Leosians and their Heart is currently held by the princess of the Merfolk. Who is going to Imtal?"

"I'll go," Elyon volunteered.

"As will I," Dorian said right after Elyon.

"I ought to go too," Crone said flatly and added," Somebody has to keep an eye on these two scamps."

"That means we get planet of the bug people," Irma said.

"Actually, arthropods are crustaceans, arachnids, and insects, not just bugs," Taranee said in a know-it-all tone.

"Ew, I hate things that crawl," Cornelia whined.

"Come on Cornelia, they're probably very nice," Hay Lin said.

"Yeah Corny, they're very nice until they suck out your brain," Irma said with an evil grin.

"Knock it off, _Irmy_," Cornelia said already getting angry.

"Both of you knock it off," Will snapped.

"I suppose that the Regents and I are going too," Garret said looking at Matt, Mr. Huggles, and Napoleon.

"Now that that is decided," the Oracle said gesturing to a fold he had just made," The fold to Imtal."

Elyon, Crone, and Dorian walked through the fold and the Oracle opened another fold to Arthrosia and the Guardians, the Regents, and Garret walked through. The Oracle closed the fold behind them and waited for those that would go to Ulzbor with him. He knew that Cassidy, Halinor, and Kadma would come but he was not entirely sure about Yan Lin, she was very touchy about this particular Heart holder. It was then that the newly named Aurora knocked on the door.

"Come in Aurora," the Oracle said. She stepped in and was followed by the four former Guardians.

"I do not like this idea one bit Oracle," Yan Lim said right off the bat.

"I know, but we must do this if we are to defeat Fenrir," the Oracle stated simply.

"I come back from the dead and get to see all the old faces in time," Cassidy said sarcastically with a slight frown.

"Sorry to interrupt Oracle and everyone else, but umm… what am I doing here," Aurora asked somewhat confused.

"You are training to become a member of the council and this is part of your training," the Oracle said.

"I would like to get this over with," Kadma said, impatiently as usual.

"I would have to agree with Kadma Oracle," Halinor stated.

"So be it," the Oracle said and opened the fold to Ulzbor.

When everyone had come through the fold, Aurora looked around at the most depressing landscape she had ever seen. The land around for as far as she could see was barren and grey, devoid of all life. The skies to were solid black clouds that had no end and were without break in any direction. The only thing that broke up the monotony was a tower made of black stone that jutted 100 feet up from the ground. Aurora sensed something powerful in that tower.

The little group proceeded to the tower. The walk was silent except for the whistling of Cassidy which stopped when Kadma glared at her. When they reached the tower, the Oracle touched the wall and bricks moved out of the way to allow them entrance. They then walked down a dark spiral staircase that was only illuminated by the slightly luminescent walls. They kept going down until Aurora was sure that they would hit the center of the planet. They finally arrived at a simple iron door at the bottom of the stairs that opened at the touch of the Oracle.

The room they were now in was lit by a single torch that shined on black stone walls. Set in the back of the small room was a cell with energy bars similar to those that held Phobos and his minions. Inside the small cell was a man with scraggily black hair and an unkempt beard wearing thin black robes that contrasted sharply with his pale skin. Aurora had to say that he had a boyishly handsome face despite the beard.

"Hello my friends," he said in a sarcastic tone," Long time no see, up close anyway. It's so nice of you to visit me like this after fifty years."

"Fifty years?!" Aurora blurted out.

"You know why we are here I presume," the Oracle asked.

"Right down to business isn't it with you," the man said in a hurt tone and then continued," You haven't even introduced me to this young lady and I would be amiss if I didn't introduce myself to her. Hello young lady, I am Lord Fionnaoch (pronounced _Fin-nick_) of Ulzbor and you are?"

"Be quiet and listen Fionnaoch," Kadma said with a sour look for him.

"Ah Kadma, a lovely temper as ever," Fionnaoch said in his sarcastic tone," Cassidy, nice to see you back from the dead and before you ask, I saw what happened. Halinor, well done on the council position. Yan Yan, you look ravishing as ever."

"Cut the crap Fionnaoch and listen to our offer," Yan Lin said in an extremely angry tone. At this he actually shut his mouth.

"We need your help to defeat an evil being named Fenrir and we will let you out of your prison if you agree to help us," the Oracle said in a dry business tone with a grimace on his face.

"How sweet that you thought of me," Fionnaoch said in a condescending tone," I already thought of an oath that you would agree to. I, Lord Fionnaoch of Ulzbor, swear with the power of Ulzbor, that by the power of all worlds I will assist you and do no evil if I am freed from my prison and if I do my powers will go to one who is worthy. There, good enough?"

"No, it will never be enough after what you did," Yan Lin said.

"Come on Yan Yan. All I did was drink from the fountain and turn Cedric and Miranda to evil accidentally," he said flatly.

"Cedric and Miranda! You mean the Cedric and Miranda from Meridian used to be good!" Aurora shouted.

"Yes," Yan Lin said," They were champions of justice but were corrupted to evil when this fool took them with him to the Fountain of Youth."

"But how did that make them evil?" Aurora asked.

"They opened the gateway to the Fountain and the energy from the Gate corrupted them and this fool gained eternal youth and we locked him in here," Yan Lin said.

"I agree to your oath and free you," the Oracle said and waved his hand causing the bars of energy to dissipate.

Fionnaoch stood up and bowed very formally. He then followed the disgruntled ex-Guardians out of his former prison and smiled with glee.

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**That was chapter eight and I hope you enjoyed it. Next time, Arthrosia and Imtal.**

**If you read this story, PLEASE REVIEW!!!! Any constructive suggestions would be welcome.**


	9. Chapter 9

The fold to Arthrosia landed the group of nine, right in the middle of a swamp. This didn't go well for Garret, Mr. Huggles, and Napoleon, they landed chest deep in the muddy water. Garret was able to levitate out, but Napoleon and Mr. H. had to be dragged out by Matt and the Guardians. They were finally able to proceed; Napoleon and Mr. H. were swinging from tree to tree now and Garret hovering, and were going through the swamps trying to avoid vines and the large local insects. After one hour of trudging around, everyone was starting to get testy.

"This humidity is killing my hair," Cornelia said rather annoyed.

"Are we even sure that the Oracle folded us to the right place?" Hay Lin asked.

"The right planet for that matter?" Irma added.

"Have faith in the Oracle my friends," Garret said good-naturedly," I have no doubt we will find these Arthrotaurs soon."

"I don't know," Matt said," We're covering quite a bit of ground and we can't see any sign of civilization in any direction."

"I think we should keep going," Taranee said.

"I agree with Taranee, but I think we need a plan," Will said.

"Good thinking," Napoleon said in his gruff voice," But there's one problem."

"What?" Will asked.

"Does anyone have a good plan?" He asked in response.

At this everyone looked at each other more than a bit perplexed trying to think of a plan. Suddenly, an arrow whizzed by Will's face and hit a tree with a loud thunk. Immediately more arrows came at them and Irma, thinking fast, put up a wall of swamp water to block the arrows.

"Need some help Irma?" Garret asked.

"Certainly," she said and then together they pushed the wall of water at the attackers.

"Everybody up!" Will yelled.

Everybody went as high as they could, looking for the attackers. It was Mr. Huggles who spotted the strange looking forms hanging from the tree branches. They guessed that these strange beings were arthrotaurs. They looked very human from the waste up but from the waste down was a different story. The lower half of one seemed to be a tarantula of enormous size, another looked like a huge beetle's body, the third one had the lower half of what appeared to be a dragonfly, and the last one had the lower half of a scorpion.

"Whoa, they have to have a heck of a time buying pants," Irma said.

"So these are arthrotaurs," Matt said," I wonder why they attacked us?"

"Well I say we squash these pests," Cornelia said angrily because she had been drenched with swamp water.

"I don't think we should be hasty," Garret said before Cornelia could attack them," I think we should bind them and ask them when they wake up."

"Well, okay but if they don't have a good reason, then I will squash them," Cornelia said grudgingly.

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Varog was just waking up trying to remember what happened. He remembered firing on a party of crustaceataurs and then being hit by a wall of water. Varog attempted to move any of his ten limbs but was bound tightly to the tree. He looked around and noticed that his comrades, Golk the scorpiotaur and Balgo and Hurk the insectaurs, too were bound to trees with energy ropes. Then Varog and the group of our heroes noticed each other.

"Who are you and why do you bind me and my comrades?" Varog asked immediately.

"You're not the one who is going to ask questions, we are," Cornelia said.

"Why did you attack us?" Will said in a calm voice.

"We thought you were some of those vile crustaceataurs," he stated simply.

"Do we look like overgrown seafood?" Irma asked.

"Sometimes they can be very cunning and you being such bizarre looking creatures I thought you might be a crustaceataur trick," Varog said.

"So you're not trying to kill us?" Hay Lin asked.

"No," Varog said and then continued," Since it would appear we are not enemies I would ask that you would release me and my comrades."

Our heroes released the bonds that held the four Arthrotaurs and talked with Varog until the others awoke. It seemed that the crustaceataurs were raiding insectaur and arachnotaur settlements and were causing were starting war with the land dwelling arthrotaurs. Varog and the others were hunting rogue war parties of crustaceataurs. Our heroes told Varog who they were and why they were here and Varog considered it.

"If this evil force of darkness is as bad as you say it is…" Varog said," I will take you to the king, but I doubt we will be able to spare any warriors, we need as many as we can to fight the crustaceataurs."

"Thanks, who knows how long we would have wondered around this swamp looking for the king," Hay Lin said happily.

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After the other Arthrotaurs had woken up, Varog took our heroes through the swamp for about half an hour. They had finally arrived at a large hill that blended in well with the surrounding swamp. Varog went up and knocked on an unsuspecting patch of ground and it was lifted up by a female arachnotaur from the inside and upon seeing Varog allowed them entrance.

The inside of the mound was truly strange. It was a humongous cavern filled with all sorts of strange sights. Great webs were to be seen connect the great termite mound like towers and huge honey combs covered the walls. Most amazing of all were all the arthrotaurs that ranged from spiders to termites from bees to scorpions. They followed Varog down to the center of the chamber where there was a small palace covered in spider webs and suspended on huge webs between the towers. When they reached the huge front doors a procession of guards and trumpeters came out to meet them.

"Hail and well met Watcher of the Swamp," centipede like arthrotaur addressed Varog and then continued," The King would like to know who you have brought before him into this stronghold."

"Hail and well met Royal Speaker," Varog said and then continued," These are the five Guardians of the Veil: Will, Irma, Cornelia, Hay Lin, and Taranee; the three Regents of Earth: Matt, Mr. Huggles, and Napoleon; and Prince Garret of Jaxel. They have come here to ask for the King's help to face a terrible evil darkness that threatens to consume all of us."

"This is true Guardians of the Veil?" said a young boy with grey hair of about ten with the lower body of a spider that walked out from behind the Speaker. Our heroes were all confused for a moment until they remembered that the Oracle had said Arthrosia was ruled by a boy king.

"Yes it is King and if you will come with us to Candracar we will be able to explain in more detail," Will said flying forward a little. The boy thought it over and then spoke.

"I will come with you and aid you with the power of my Heart and Varog shall come with me," as he said this everyone looked at him shocked but he continued," I shall leave Council of Generals and the Speaker in charge in my absence and please my new friends call me Ackeron."

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Crone, Dorian, and Elyon had just arrived at Imtal at the great Gold City. The city was built into a huge shelf on the coast allowing it to allowing the city to be built down into the water and beautiful towers soared into the clouds. Everywhere the humanoid Harpies flew through the skies, the Merfolk swam in canals and the ocean, and the Leosians ran with the grace of wildcats. All of them stopped to star at the trio of outsiders who had appeared through a hole in the air. A mixed group of Harpy and Leosian guards approached them slowly and the crowd stepped back a little.

"Who are you and why are you here?" asked one of the Harpy guards with a sharp looking beak.

"I am Queen Elyon of Meridian, this I Crone of Golias, and Prince Dorian of Parador and we are here to talk to your leaders," Elyon said calmly.

"I will inform the Tribunal of this and I want you to take them to the Tribunal Tower and put double guard on them Captain Olxor," said an important looking Leosian officer.

"Yes sir," said the Harpy that had asked our heroes the question as the Leosian bounded off towards the grand looking tower the center of the city.

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Elyon and the others were in the anti chamber of the Tribunal tower and were waiting silently surrounded by one hundred armed guards. Our heroes could easily overcome the guards but that is not why they had come. Eventually, the Leosian that had run to the tower came through the main door to the Tribunal's Chamber and motioned for the trio to enter.

Upon entering they got their first look at the Tribunal. To the left side of the room was a large pool containing the Princess of the Merfolk who had beautiful long blonde hair, large grey eyes, and a shiny blue tail. In the center was the King of the Leosians with golden fur, a dark black mane, and he was built like a brick wall. To the right side of the room was the Queen of the Harpy who had a basic human form except for a few minor things like her beak, her white feathered wings, and her taloned, bird-like feet.

"Greetings, Prince Dorian of Parador, Queen Elyon of Meridian, and Lady Crone of Golias," said the large Leosian," I am Leol, King of all Prides."

"I am Queen Calia, Matriarch of all Harpies," said the Harpy on her high pedestal.

"I am Princess Aria, keeper of the Heart of Imtal," said the blond mermaid.

Then there was silence. Elyon and Crone were silent and so was Dorian until he realized they were waiting on them to speak.

"We have come here to ask your help because you see there is an ancient evil being named Fenrir that has tapped into a dark force from the Shadow Reality and he and his lieutenants can summon an army of shadow tainted elementals…" Dorian took a breath and continued," So now we, along with the Guardians of the Veil and our allies, are gathering together the Hearts of as many worlds as we can to defeat Fenrir and his armies."

"We would also ask that you raise your armies to assist in case the Shadow Tainted Armies are more than we can handle on our own and ask that Princess Aria come with us to Candracar so we can explain things further," Elyon added.

"I cannot speak for the Leosians or the Harpies, but the Merfolk will aid you and I will join you," Aria said with a determined look on her face.

"My fellow Leosians would despise me if I would not assist in a battle of this magnitude," Leol said with a grin on his cat-like muzzle.

"If the Leosians and the Merfolk are going to aid you, then so will the Harpies," Calia said in an even tone.

"On behalf of all of me and my companions, we thank you for your help," Crone said with one of her kind smiles on her face.

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"What does that fool want us to do now?" asked a vaguely humanoid cloud of blood red gas with two glowing red eyes with his hollow voice.

"Well, Fenrir sent his little lackey Mutten to tell us to keep an eye on them Head Chemist," said the mechanical suite of armor with a pendulum where his midriff should be.

"Mechanos, you are the Head Mechanic for a reason," the Head Chemist said," It was not because you sat their and watched, it was because of your destructive ability. I want you to go to Earth with your giant pet rat, some of the lesser mechanics, the Head Medic, some of the lesser Medics, and about one hundred of the Brethren and attack the any of them you can find. I will discuss our plans with the Council of Procedures."

"Yes, Head Chemist," Mechanos said and then disappeared in a puff of smoke.

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**That was chapter 9. I hoped you enjoyed it and thanks for reviews. If you read this and didn't review, unlike CCRox4Eva and Guardian's Light who rock, I am glad you read my story but please review this time!!!!**

**Also any ideas for cool Alchemist Guild members would be welcome.**


	10. Chapter 10

After all of our heroes and their new allies arrived back in Candracar, the Oracle explained the situation further to their guests. It was then decided that all of the Heart holders would stay on Candracar except for the Guardians and Regents who were to go back to Earth because the Oracle sensed something was amiss on Earth. Garret, Aldarn, and Caleb also went, just in case. Wink, wink, nudge, nudge. Everyone else was using a form of fold that allowed them to communicate with their home worlds. The magical alarms had been set up on all of the worlds.

The group of fourteen left Candracar through the fold into the basement of the Guardian HQ, The Silver Dragon. Will and Matt had to leave immediately because Wreck 55 had a gig that night and Mr. Huggles went with them. Hay Lin was going to dinner with Eric and was going to drop Napoleon off at home along the way. Kadma and Cassidy left for their respective homes and Yan Lin left the room to check up on Mira and was swearing under her breath in Chinese about Fionnaoch. So Caleb, Cornelia, Aldarn, Taranee, Irma, and Garret were just about to leave for a triple date to the carnival in town when another fold opened admitting Aurora and Ackeron.

"What are you guys doing here?" Taranee asked," Is anything wrong on Candracar?"

"No, nothing like that," Aurora said," It's just that I heard you were all going to a carnival and I had the night off and Ackeron wanted to see what an Earth carnival looked like, so…"

"Well, sure you guys can come with us," Irma said a little too calmly and then continued sarcastically," I'm sure no one would notice that he has eight spider legs."

"Just like no one will notice your boyfriend's metal arm?" Aurora countered.

"Good point," Irma said a little dejected.

"Well, I learned to do glamour spells when I was fourteen so I can hide my legs," Ackeron said and did just that and even changed his clothing to blend in. He wore some jeans and a simple black shirt.

"How old are you anyway?" Cornelia asked a little curious.

"Fifteen," Ackeron replied. Everyone looked at him shocked because he looked so young.

"I suppose I'd better change too," Garret said and glamoured his arm to look like flesh, made his sword invisible, and changed his clothing. He wore a gray t-shirt and a pair of jeans.

"Now that all of the pleasantries are over, can we go to the carnival," Aldarn asked.

"Eager aren't we?" Taranee said with a grin for him.

Aldarn put on his hat so no one would stare at his head protrusions and then they all headed out of the Dragon to the carnival. None of them noticed all of the cloaked figures that hid on the roof tops along the way.

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"Well Yoltive, are your Medics ready?" Mechanos asked in his hollow, metallic voice while petting his giant nasty rat man.

"Don't worry about us my metallic friend," Yoltive said in a soft voice.

"Gentlemen," said a creature that was half oozing red flesh and half mechanical skeleton, spoke in a horrid low voice," When do we at…att…attack the target…ets?"

"The Head Chemist was very clear," Mechanos said exasperated that he was being asked for the eighth time," When they are separate from the crowds, then we attack them because we want the element of surprise when we conquer this world."

"You there, Brethren, go fetch Wall, Vespa, Ghoul, and Mecha Wolf and take them to the attack site," said Yoltive calmly," And be quick about it."

"Yes, Head Medic," the black robed brethren said with a bow ran to do the task.

"It will be enjoyable finishing the job this night," Mechanos said to himself.

"You mean the one you couldn't finish on Jaxel?" Yoltive asks amusedly.

"Yes," Mechanos says in his voice filled with rage.

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"You've never had ice cream before?!" a shocked Aurora asked Ackeron.

"No, should I have?" Ackeron asked back.

"You have to," Aurora said," I remember the first time I tried it when I was first created, it will blow your mind."

"That sounds rather dangerous," said the concerned looking Ackeron.

"Blow your mind is just a figure of speech," Aurora went on," It just means that you're gonna love it."

And so the pair got some ice cream with Ackeron staring at Aurora the whole time.

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"Come on Aldarn, it's just a Ferris wheel," Taranee said urging him to ride it with her.

"I don't know," Aldarn said looking a bit timid.

"You've fought Lurdens, giant bug monsters, and the forces of evil and you're afraid of a Ferris wheel!" Taranee said exasperated.

"Well…"

"Come on do it for me," Taranee said and then kissed him on the cheek," I promise you'll enjoy it."

"Ok," he said with a stupid grin.

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"So, what do you think of cotton candy?" Irma asked an obviously psyched Garret.

"This is one of the best things I have ever eaten," Garret said happily.

"Come on," Irma said taking his hand to lead him," You're going to love the rollercoaster."

"I'll have to figure out how to build one," said an amazed Garret," People back home would love it."

"I guarantee that you're going to love it," Irma said with a big smile for him and she was still holding his hand even though they were walking side by side.

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"Caleb, lighten up a bit," Cornelia said pouting. They were riding the Tunnel of Love ride and Caleb was still upset about being captured yesterday.

"I'm sorry Cornelia, it's just that I'm worried," Caleb said sadly.

"Hey," Cornelia said taking on a more sympathetic tone," We're all worried about Fenrir and his goons, but tonight is our night off to relax and who knows when we'll get another chance like this."

"Cornelia I-," Caleb started but was interrupted when Cornelia put a finger to his lips and then kissed him.

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After a night of fun at the carnival the group of eight walked to the Silver Dragon. Garret and Irma were still holding hands and talking to Ackeron and Aurora about the fun they had on the rides and all the junk food they had. Aldarn and Taranee were walking side by side talking about some new book they were reading and making plans for another date and Caleb had his arm around Cornelia and they were just smiling at each other like fools.

They took a shortcut that they had taken a thousand times through an empty lot to get to the Dragon. It was when they were in the middle of the old lot that a huge ring of energy, about three times as big as the lot, descended from the sky to the ground with our heroes in the dead center. Around the perimeter of the lot, many figures in black robes appeared from nowhere. From the street side the black robes part to allow in eight figures.

At their head was a figure that looked like a very ornate suite of armor with a pendulum where its midriff should be and beside it was a sickly looking yet built rat-like humanoid. To the armor's other side was a large, blocky, metal wolf with a cannon on its back. Standing behind the trio was a nine feet tall, perfectly scaled suite of armor that looked just like the first one except less ornate and darker in color.

Standing with yet apart from them was a group of three strange looking beings. At their head was a man that seemed to be very Frankenstein-esc in appearance with two eye stalks topped with glowing red eyes protruding from his face, a huge right arm tipped with three long claws and covered in spikes, another arm made of crystal of some sort, a huge snake protruding from his chest, and many long tentacle legs. Next was a woman in a black and yellow sundress with blonde and raven hair with two large, black, multifaceted eyes. Lastly, was a man in dusty looking clothing that seemed to be from the 1700's. This man was bald, very pale, wore a doctor's mask, and had pale, milky-white eyes.

The eighth and finale being was the foulest looking creature that anyone could ever imagine. Its left half was sickly red flesh that oozed and undulated and its features were very basic and without much detail. The right half of its body seemed to be a metallic skeleton with the odd metal plate here and there and some gears in the ribcage. Both sides of this foul creature merged into each other rather abruptly with a clear line of gray, calloused flesh.

"I thought you were destroyed you filthy scum!" Garret said with his voice dripping with pure loathing. Irma looked at him with shock because she could never imagined good natured Garret with such rage.

"Now, now Prince Garret," said the human sized suite of armor," After all this time that is how you greet your parent's murderer and the one who severed your arm?"

"My parents trusted you and you betrayed them!" Garret said gaining steam with his rage," Now I find out you survived the blast! How did you do it?!"

"First I think introductions are in order," he continued despite Garret's outrage," For those of you who don't know me, I am Mechanos the Head Mechanic of the Alchemist Guild."

"This is Plague, my pet," he said pointing to the rat man.

"This is Yoltive the Head Medic," he said pointing to the Frankenstein man.

"This is Mecha Wolf the Assistant Head Mechanic," he said pointing to the metal wolf.

"This is Ghoul the Assistant Head Medic," he said pointing to the dead looking fellow.

"These are Wall the Rampart Mechanic and Vespa the Head Nurse," he pointed to the giant suite of armor and the bug woman respectively.

"And last but certainly not least, Coordinator," he finally pointed to the half skeleton half blob creature.

"Of course we know who you are," said Yoltive in his soft voice that didn't match his body.

"Now that introductions are over with," Mechanos continued in his hollow voice," I survived with the help of my ever faithful pets Mecha Wolf and Plague."

"Since that's the case…" Garret said glamouring down and drawing his sword," This time you won't be so lucky."

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**That was chapter 10, hoped you enjoyed it and you like the big fight next chapter.**

**I would like to thank Guardian's Light for the characters Mecha Wolf and Wall.**

**Thanks to CCRox4Eva and Guardian's Light for reviewing and all my readers.**

**If you read this story please review.**


	11. Chapter 11

"Keep back, all of you, the prince is ours," Mechanos said," Yoltive, you and your two assistants and Coordinator take out Ackeron. The rest of you take out the leftovers."

The group of eight readied their powers for the assault that was soon too come and were going back to back. All of the lesser Brethren threw off their cloaks showing their hideous forms and many were very disgusting. They ranged from animal men, to those with mechanical appendages, to others with strange biological limbs, and some with both. Things looked very ugly at the moment, both literally and metaphorically.

It was then at the moment right before the Alchemist Guild members attacked that the barrier started to quiver. Mechanos was shocked that the glamour barrier that he created was falling apart. The barrier then turned into a solid looking dome over the whole of the area and a huge fold opened above them that emitted Fionnaoch, Golem, Ironwood, Sandpit, Gargoyle, Raythor, Varog, Aria (who had apparently glamoured herself to have legs), and Crone.

"Well, well," Fionnaoch said with a smug grin," Are you crazy kids hogging all of the fun for yourselves?"

"Don't worry dearies, the others are gathering the Regents and the rest of the Guardians," Crone said in a reassuring tone. Mechanos waved his arms in the air and the others seemed very confused when nothing happened.

"Come now my metal friend," Fionnaoch said in a mocking tone," Do you think that you can fold through my spell, you don't even control a _tiny_ portion of a Heart, you don't stand a chance. The fun part of my dome is that anyone can get in but only the winning side can get out."

"Before we start," Garret said and then pointed at Mechanos and Plague with his sword," This disgusting, sewer dwelling vermin is mine…and his rat too. Ironwood, stick with the others until help arrives. Fionnaoch attack the dead looking fellow and his tentacle limbed companion. Golem attack the giant suit of armor. Sandpit attack the lady in yellow and black, trust me she's more dangerous then she looks. Crone attack the metal dog with the cannon. Everybody else attack who you will."

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"Will, you were great out there tonight," Matt said smiling at his girlfriend.

"You weren't too bad out there yourself," she said and smiled back and kissed him as they were walking back to Matt's car.

"_Squeak squeak_," Mr. Huggles said climbing onto his master's shoulder.

"Thank you for the compliment too Mr. H.," Matt said petting the little dormouse. It was then that a fold opened right in front of them emitting a frantic looking Elyon.

"Will, Matt," Elyon said out of breath," You have to come with me the others are in trouble and they need our help."

"Let's go, Guardians Unite," Will said this and transformed into her Guardian form as Matt and Mr. H. went Regent.

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"Eric this night was so romantic," Hay Lin said as Eric was walking her home.

"Yeah," Eric said in agreement holding Hay Lin close. A huge fold opened in front of them and emitted a somewhat distressed Dorian.

"Air Guardian," he said frantically," The others that went to the carnival are in trouble and Elyon went to get the Guardian and Regent leaders. Everyone else went to help our friends and I came here to get you."

"Should we go get Napoleon to help too?" Hay Lin asked.

"No time," Dorian responded," The Regent might need to protect the Heart of Earth and I think that with the rest of us we can take the enemy."

"Lead the way," Eric said quickly.

"Is he coming too?" Garret asked with a confused look at Eric.

"He can handle himself," Hay Lin said with an affectionate smile for Eric.

"So be it," Dorian said and opened a fold and they all departed through it leaving the sidewalk empty.

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Garret had eyes only for Mechanos and Plague. Plague was getting into a crouching position ready pounce on his master's command while Mechanos's arms turned into large curved blades. Garret activated his sword making it's one large blade into five, one for each element. Battle raged all around them as the two sides clashed but it fell on deaf ears. Plague lunged at Garret while his master opened up his visor to breath fire at Garret when he dodged Plague.

"This is for my people!" Garret said redirecting the fire at Plague who dodged it. Garret swung his sword sending a huge energy disk at Mechanos but it was blocked by Plague and he exploded in a huge explosion of green slime.

"You destroyed my pet you little fool!" Mechanos said and opened his visor again and emitted a cloud of poisoness green fog. Garret easily countered it with a wind blast and hit Mechanos with a blast of water and quintessence knocking the metal man into a brick wall of a near by building.

"That was for me!" Garret said and charged at him and Mechanos opened his visor to attack with another one of his breath weapons. Garret seized the opportunity to throw his sword, which he had turned back into one blade, and guided it with his magic to fly into the open helmet-like head of Mechanos. Mechanos let out a long metallic howl as it went into his head and destroyed his inner mechanisms.

"And this," Garret said walking up to the dieing Head Mechanic. Garret opened the blade within the body Mechanos and sent a huge surge of destructive energy into Mechanos to destroy him completely making him less than scrap.

"Is for my parents!" Garret said with a look of grim satisfaction on his face.

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Golem was facing down the Rampart Mechanic and neither made a move to start with. Both were used to being the defensive ones in battle. Eventually, Golem drew up a huge hammer of rock from the ground and jumped up into the air alongside the hammer of stone and aimed right for the head of Wall. His blow never landed because of the energy shield that surrounded Wall.

Golem landed on the ground and was immediately assaulted with a punch from Wall that sent him flying backwards crushing several of the Brethren. Wall moved in with surprising speed to stomp upon Golem who countered by sinking deep into the ground. The sinkhole effect sucked down the mighty Wall as Golem rose up from the ground next to Wall. Waste deep in the ground, Wall threw a last desperate punch at Golem who was able to stop it because Wall couldn't put all of his weight into it and Golem was partially dug in.

After a few moments, Wall only just had his helmet like head sticking out of the ground. Golem looked down at the head of his opponent and prepared to finish him when Wall's head collapsed in on itself. Golem was shocked and confused until he noticed that Garret destroyed Mechanos.

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Crone had never been fond of industry and technology but she new it was the natural order of things. This metal mutt was a monstrosity and was not even close to the natural order. With a metallic growl, panels all over Mecha Wolf opened to fire a barrage of missiles at Crone who stopped them with a wall of roots and rubble. The wall was burned and ripped to shreds by the missiles, but stopped most of the destructive force of the missiles.

Mecha Wolf despised all things organic and he especially despised this creature of nature that dared to survive his attack with all of his being. With the large cannon on his back he fired a tremendous stream of energy at Crone only to find it was matched by a fire attack. The explosion the occurred when the two energies met and knocked both opponents backwards.

Mecha Wolf saw that this creature would not be easy prey so he shifted to his humanoid form by going up onto two legs, having his front claws become hands, and changing the cannon onto his back into the Cannon Hammer. Crone readied herself for this new threat because she could sense the power coming from his new form. Mecha Wolf charged at Crone who countered with an energy attack but this time it was just Crone who was thrown back. Crone saw the metal wolf charge and she could do nothing to stop it when that he stopped and started to break apart. Crone looked over and saw that the young prince had taken care of the mutt's master.

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"Hello there handsome," Vespa said in a seductive tone," What do you say you go destroy your friends."

She sprayed her special pheromone from her hands at sandpit. He inhaled the pheromone and nothing happened.

"Well," said the exasperated Vespa," Go destroy them."

Sandpit didn't say anything to that, because he couldn't, and just attacked with one of his huge fists. Vespa dodged easily and countered with a huge black lance with a long black and yellow handle and it went harmlessly into sandpit who pulled it into his body out of Vespa's hand. Vespa jumped back avoiding another punch from Sandpit.

"You big stupid buffoon!" Vespa screamed at him," Well lets see how you like it when I take you out with Swarm Form."

The little woman turned into a huge swarm of Japanese Wasps and attacked Sandpit with one huge strike. Sandpit countered by becoming a whirlwind of sand and taking down many of the wasps. When Sandpit stopped, Vespa had reformed into her human form and looked a little shaky.

"Alright you overgrown beach," Vespa said with her voice dripping with loathing," Prepare for the Giant Form."

This time she became a Japanese Wasp the size of a tanker truck. Sandpit again went whirlwind as Vespa attacked and focused his attack on the eyes and mouth of his opponents. This caused the wasp lady to freak out and she crushed several of the Brethren under her huge feet. Sandpit stopped momentarily and motioned for his buddy Gargoyle to come over and with one mighty blow from his club arm crushed the head of the giant insect. After he did that, the rest of Vespa's body melted into nasty green ooze.

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"Alchemy, I'm glad you're home dear," Alchemy's mother said as her daughter entered the house," Come into the living room, we need to talk."

"What's up mom," she asked as she dropped her backpack on the floor and sat on the couch with her mom.

"Honey," her mother continued," I want to give you this special family heirloom. It's been in our family for generations."

The pendant that she held up to her daughter was truly beautiful. Its chain was made of sparkling silver that was braided into an elaborate spiral twist. The actual medallion itself was a small disk about an inch in diameter and a quarter of an inch thick. On one side their were two lines of writing in some strange language and on the other was an outline of a wolf's head made of some kind of white gem.

"Wow, mom," Alchemy said looking at the medallion in awe," But what's the occasion?"

"To tell you the truth, I don't know," she said with a thoughtful look into space," It's like something made me get this old thing out and give it to you."

"I don't know why you did it mom, but thanks, I'll always wear it," Alchemy said with one of her mellow smiles.

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**Thanks to my two favorite reviewers, CCRox4Eva and Guardian's Light, for reviewing. Thanks also to my non-reviewing readers too, I guess. If you read my story please review.**

**Did anyone notice how often I used a form of emit? I think that's kind of weird. **

**Next time: Fionnaoch's fight, the rest of the fight, and the dream.**


	12. Chapter 12

Fionnaoch was facing down two of the foulest looking creatures that he had ever laid eyes on. The ghoulish fellow was circling to the left while his companion was going to the right. The fellow in the doctor's mask took it off and his mouth seemed to have no cheeks or lips and he opened his mouth wide to show his sharp teeth. Ghoul looked particularly ghastly now.

"Hmm… after all that time imprisoned I get to see you two freaks, lucky me," Fionnaoch said with a look of distaste.

"You insolent cur!" Yoltive screamed and lunged at Fionnaoch with his spiked hand. Out of virtually nowhere, Fionnaoch pulled out a solid black scythe that was very plane and cut off Yoltive's spiked arm.

"Sire!" Ghoul screams and opens his mouth wide to spit a large maggot creature at Fionnaoch who easily blocks it with his scythe. Ghoul then starts to glow with an eerie light and two copies of him appear to his left and two more to his right, though the mouths of the copies are sewn shut. The hands of the copies and the original's both become long, razor sharp claws that glisten with poison.

"I'll remove your limbs joint by joint," Yoltive says in a calm yet biting tone. Yoltive mutters something in the strange language of magic and his severed arm gains a tail and eyes and his stump becomes a long, inky black tentacle.

"That makes seven of you to one of me," Fionnaoch mused," That doesn't seem very fair, but I suppose that since I've been imprisoned that should make this fight fairer."

The four Ghoul Copies attack together while the original spits another group of maggots at Fionnaoch while Yoltive fires energy blasts from his crystal arm as well. With a whirl of his scythe he blocked the ranged attacks and put some fire into his next attack to cut two of the copies in half and knock back the remaining two. The two cut copies melted and set aflame.

"How boring," Fionnaoch said stifling a false yawn," You know what I'll do for you my new friends? I will not use the Scythe of Ulzbor until after you are destroyed."

The scythe immediately disappeared and Fionnaoch took a more casual pose. Yoltive's severed arm lunged at Fionnaoch along with the copies while Ghoul and Yoltive fired upon him. Fionnaoch burned away the flesh of the arm leaving only the charred spikes and then Fionnaoch grabbed the two copies with the very air and used them as shields against the ranged attacks. The one that got hit with the maggot started to bloat and turn black and then finally melt and the other was burned away.

"Well, this is very boring," Fionnaoch said again," I think I'll finish you now."

With that Fionnaoch ran with amazing speed at Ghoul who spat another maggot and swiped with his deadly claws. With earth and air he stopped his claws and then killed the maggot and sealed Ghoul's mouth with fire and quintessence. All the while Fionnaoch dodged the attacks of Yoltive and finished Ghoul with a punch of all five elements. Fionnaoch faced down Yoltive with a cocky grin and Yoltive was visibly shaken.

"Please, spare my life I beg of you," Yoltive said bowing down while Fionnaoch walked up to him.

"I suppose since you're so weak, you can't really harm anyone," Fionnaoch said. Fionnaoch was within striking range when he finished talking and Yoltive took the opportunity to strike with his energy blasts and his chest serpent. They both went through Fionnaoch who disappeared in a flash of light.

"Don't you just love Astral Drops?" Fionnaoch whispered in Yoltive's ear as severed Yoltive's eyestalks, his snake, and his arms away with a blade of flames. Yoltive screamed out in pain and then was destroyed with a blast of wind, fire, and quintessence.

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The Guardians were now fighting back to back with Raythor, Ironwood, Aria, and Varog started fighting alongside the girls of WITCH and their boyfriends and Ackeron and Aurora, while Gargoyle was just crushing Brethren like crazy. Raythor had provided swords for Caleb and Aldarn. The girls were keeping off the sneakier attackers that slipped past the Heart holders and the warriors but they sincerely wished that Will, Hay Lin, and the Heart were there.

Then, out of nowhere, two folds appeared in the center of the WITCH girls emitting from one Dorian, Eric, and Hay Lin and the other emitted Elyon, Mr. H., Matt, and Will.

"Hello ladies," Will greeted her teammates," Need a change of wardrobe?"

"Yeah babe," Irma yelled," That would be a big help about now."

"Guardians Unite!" Will yelled and the four other WITCH girls transformed into Guardian forms. Now the Brethren were getting crushed like crazy, with green ooze making the ground slick and twisted metal littering the ground. Eventually those who had been fight individually had joined in attacking the Brethren and finally they were all crushed and the barrier went down.

"Quick everyone we must leave immediately!" said a very alarmed Garret.

"Don't worry my boy," Fionnaoch said with a calming tone," The glamour is still up and we have to clear away our debris.

"Umm… I thought the barrier would only go down when _all_ the enemies were defeated?" asked a worried Taranee.

"That's correct," Fionnaoch responded.

"Then what about him?" Taranee said pointing to Coordinator. Everyone readied up for a confrontation with the bizarre looking creature.

"I am n…not your ene… enemy…me," Coordinator said in his eerie voice and then started to glow with a blue light. He became a dark skinned man with half black half white hair and he was only about 5'4" tall.

"Who are you?" Hay Lin asked timidly.

"An old friend," Garret said with a look of joy and disbelief on his face," A very dear old friend I thought lost."

"Their will be time for explanations later my friend, for now we must dispose of the remains of the Guild," Coordinator said in an even, emotionless tone.

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Alchemy had just fallen asleep and was immediately dreaming she was in a mountainous forest of evergreens in the light of the full moon. She looked up at the full moon and was mesmerized by it.

"_Beautiful, isn't it_," a voice in her head said.

"Who are you?" Alchemy said aloud.

"_Turn around_," it said.

She looked around to see a glowing and strong looking white wolf standing on a rocky outcrop. The wolf had piercing blue eyes that stood out and pierced the Alchemy's soul and enthralled her. Everything about him kept her mesmerized.

"Who are you?" she asked

"_I am the collected will of the Lunar Pendant and all those who have used it and if you must call me by a name_," he paused in his thought," _Call me Beowulf_."

"What do you want Beowulf?" Alchemy asked still mesmerized by the wolf.

"_Fate has chosen you to stop the evil of the Night Wolf and I have come to guide you, I am a spirit familiar_," Beowulf paused to let it sink in a then continued," _You must stop an evil that threatens to consume the universe if you do not help the forces of good stop it_."

"Why me?" Alchemy asked.

"_Your family, countless generations ago, made a pact with the wolves to stop their evil brethren in a time of pain and evil. You are the one that has been chosen to now take up the cause because that evil has risen again, your family history, and your good soul_," Beowulf said a he laid down on his perch.

"Wow," Alchemy said and then asked," If I'm the one who can help then I'll do it. How do I do it exactly?"

"_You must talk to the one who is your friend that has left this world_," he said looking closely at her," _Find her through the five you know to be her friends_."

"What do you mean?" She asked even more confused.

"_They are called the Guardians_," Beowulf said," _You do know them but not by that name. I can see them now with my minds eye: a blond girl, a red head, a girl with long black hair, a dark skinned girl, and a girl with brown hair. That is all I can tell you_."

"I think I know who you mean," Alchemy said thinking of Will, Irma, Taranee, Cornelia, and Hay Lin. The dream faded away and Alchemy fell into a deep, restful sleep and the memory of what happened stayed with her, forever burned into her consciousness.

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"Well Mutten?" Fenrir asked his minion.

"Master… they… sent the… others… to attack," Mutten said.

"Excellent, that fool had to disobey me and he is losing his army and he will be easier to crush," Fenrir said with glee," In two more days my perfect lieutenant will complete and then the real attack will begin and I believe we should start with that boy who escaped Aquos."

"Yes…Master."

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**Thanks as always to my two favorite reviewers, CCRox4Eva and Guardian's Light. Although you two are my only reviewers, except for Shiroi Misa that one time. Anyway, thanks to readers too, but what are you doing?! Review and you can have your name up here too. Sorry CCRox4Eva, I couldn't fit it in this chapter, but I'll try in 13.**

**Preview: Explanations for the Guild, the world of Auras, and something else.**


	13. Chapter 13

**As always I would like to thank my reviewers CCRox4Eva, DragonRaiderX9, and XV-Dragon. Thanks to all the readers who didn't review, kinda, all I ask is one review per reader, though more are welcome. Come on, JUST ONE!**

**A special thanks to Guardian's Light for advertising my story, reviewing, and allowing me to use his characters Oak and Kim Kakaski. If you enjoy my stories you will certainly enjoy his and I would ask that you check out some of his stories in my favorites.**

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"I believe that I should start with explanations," Garret said with an even and sad tone. Everyone was on Candracar at the moment after they had gotten rid of the Guild member remains and then restored all that was damaged to make it look exactly as it had before.

"The enemy we just faced is known as the Alchemist Guild, a group of alchemist and mechanics that attempted to control both Jaxel and Parador during the Guild Wars that started 11 years ago and ended 9 years ago," Garret paused and then continued," The two worlds became the Alliance and fought together to stop the Guild."

"The beings we faced tonight were middle ranking officers. The ranks go as follows from the Brethren, which are the common foot soldiers, to the Medics and Mechanics, then to the Heads of the two and their officers, to the Council of Procedures who are the bodyguards of their leader, the Head Chemist, Nicholas Flamel," Garret stopped for breath.

"You mean the guy from Harry Potter?" Hay Lin asked very confused.

"Harry who?" Garret asks right back.

"Harry Potter is a series of fictional books," Taranee explained," But Nicholas Flamel was based on a supposedly real alchemist who supposedly created the Philosopher's Stone."

"There's nothing supposed about it," Garret said with a little heat in his voice," Over 400 years ago he came to Jaxel with the mystical power of the stone."

"The Stone is an artificial Heart that anyone can make, but there can only be one active at a time. He was just the lucky one to do it," the Oracle added.

"Yes," Garret said to flatly," You see at first he was a man who wanted nothing but to help people. Sadly, about one hundred years ago, he started to become cruel and to do inhumane experiments and about fifty years ago he went into hiding because of his… increasingly vile experiments. Then 11 years ago, he came back with an army bent on conquest. 9 years ago they were thought to be destroyed in a horrific battle."

"Why did you have such a grudge against the metal guy," Irma asked with a concerned look. Garret looked at her with a mix of pain and sadness.

"He was a trusted Clockwork Folk general who my parents thought the world of. Then, near the end of the war, he switched sides and killed my parents and cut off my arm," Garret said holding up his mechanical arm," I was inexperienced with my power and I blew him up when he did that. I thought him dead, until today."

"Garret…" Irma said and walked over to him and put a hand on either shoulder.

"It's alright, you didn't know," Garret responded looking Irma in the eye. She gave him a sympathetic smile at that. She sat down next to him and the others merely looked on.

"What about you, old friend? What is your story? The last time anyone heard from you, you were going home." Garret asked Coordinator.

"For those of you that don't know, my real name is Ikol Bast, but you can call me Coordinator," he continued," You see, before the Guild Wars started, I was a both a great mechanic and alchemist. I was a toy maker until the war started and then I joined the Alliance. I was a friend of the royal family and helped to create the Quintet Fang, the blade that Garret holds now."

"What happened to you though?" Garret asked.

"I was walking home from the palace when I was kidnapped by the Guild," Coordinator continued," They tried to get me to help them and when I refused they did horrible experiments on me and made it so that I could become the creature you saw earlier. I still have my free will in that form, so Flamel made it so that as long as the Head Medic _and_ Mechanic were alive I would serve them faithfully."

"Then why didn't you attack us when they were still alive?" Fionnaoch asked.

"Because, when I saw Garret, something in me snapped and I just couldn't despite the spell," Coordinator finished.

"It's good to have you back old friend," Garret said with a smile for his old friend.

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"Well," Flamel said with his gaseous body broiling," They were all destroyed and then Coordinator was freed from my spell."

"Yes my lord," said a blob of ever shifting colors," But we were able to salvage most of Wall's energy and smaller portions of Mecha Wolf, Mechanos, a collection of energy from the top medics, and even a collection of the mechanical energy of the Brethren."

"Good Arc. I will take care of transmuting them," Flamel said," What of you Oak, did you succeed in your project?"

The hooded and cloaked figure muttered one word," Yes."

"Excellent, how many non-mechanical Brethren does it leave us with?" the Head Chemist asked.

"150," Oak said.

"Good, good," Flamel said to himself," What of you Ms. Kakaski and you Metal 7?"

"The Mechanosaurus Rex project is a success my lord," Kakaski said while standing there in her gaudy clothing that contradicted her serious demeanor.

"We had to use all but the fifty best mechanical Brethren and scrounge what we could, but it went very well," Metal 7 said. He looked like an exceptionally ornate suit of armor that was made from several different metals.

"That will make eight of us and the 200 best Brethren," Flamel mused," I believe we should start recruiting others to our cause."

"Who do you have in mind my lord?" Arc asked.

"Fenrir had luck with Meridian, so go free the army of Lurdens that served that Phobos fellow, but only after the ambassador group leaves Candracar, and then to Arthrosia to _recruit_ some of the Crustaceataurs," Flamel said and his minions went about their appointed tasks.

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"Now that explanations are over, I will tell you of the last world we shall recruit," the Oracle said to the group.

"Why the last?" Taranee asked.

"Because of certain restrictions of magic that wouldn't allow us to do otherwise and more than twelve Hearts in one place like that would cause untold trouble," the Oracle stated.

"I see," Taranee said.

"This world you will be going to is known as Auras," the Oracle said," It is inhabited by elemental creatures. The most common are known as Sprites and they are delicate beings that are of one of the five elements. Then there are the greater Sprites that include the Gnomes of earths, the Nyaids of water, the Sylphs of air, the Salamanders of fire, and the Thunderbirds of quintessence. Next come the Element Lords that control one element and are the greatest sprites, but there are only a handful of them. There are also many other non-Sprite elemental creatures and Sprites that don't fit into a category."

"The Heart of Auras is split into two. One half belongs to a half-Sprite by the name of Sandstorm who not only controls earth and wind, but also has his own natural powers over the two. The other half belongs to his twin sister Steam, who controls fire and water and has her own power over both. They equally share quintessence. With there natural power they are dangerous, but with the Heart they are extremely powerful," the Oracle finished.

"I know we're going, the Regents, and Garret, but who else is going this time?" Will asked.

"I already thought of that Guardian," the Oracle said immediately," I would ask that Crone, Fionnaoch, Gargoyle, and Sandpit go."

Everyone was shocked at this. Why Sandpit and Gargoyle were going was beyond anyone, even the wisest there. Sandpit and Gargoyle were very confused as well.

"I know you two are curious about this, but I assure you that you will enjoy the surprise I have in mind," the Oracle said and handed a sealed scroll to Sandpit," Give this to Sandstorm tomorrow and all will be revealed."

With that, everyone left went to sleep for the night and waited until tomorrow when a new can of worms would be opened. Many were anxious about what new challenges would come but they were confident.

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"Mutten," Fenrir said to his little lackey," I want you to go to Auras and ask my old friends the Efreet brothers, Swinely, Gorgana, and Echo to come and join us."

"Yes… Master," Mutten replied.

"Hurricana, I want you to cause a little trouble on Auras tomorrow," Fenrir said.

"Yes master," she said and bowed respectfully.

"Massster!" Pyros said running into the room," The Guild is planning to free the Lurdens tomorrow and impress some crustaceataurs into joining him."

"I see," Fenrir said still sitting in his throne," Well, in that case Pyros… you, Aquos, and Snout will go to him tonight and tell him that I said you will assist him in any way you can."

"Yesss master," said the very confused Pyros.

"Eventually my servants," Fenrir mused," Everything will be consumed by my darkness and I will be invincible."

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**Preview: The journey on Auras, Lurden breakout, and the legend of the Light Wolf. **


	14. Chapter 14

**Thanks as always to my reviewers, Guardian's Light (check out his stories in my favorites, they are exceptionally good), XV-Dragon, Lil chap welsh nd proud, and CCRox4Eva. Thanks to all of my readers that didn't review too, I guess. All I ask is one review per reader, JUST ONE!!! Though more are welcome.**

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"Oh, isn't this magical," Fionnaoch said flatly," A huge, incredibly hot desert."

"I have to agree with the blowhard," Crone said putting up the hood of her cloak," This isn't exactly a beautiful forest paradise."

"Which way do we go?" Garret asked.

"I think that he would be in that pyramid over there," Napoleon said in his Regent form. The pyramid in question was a large step pyramid that seemed to be made of sandstone and was as tall as a twenty story building.

"Seems like a possibility," Matt said.

"It's times like this that I'm glad I can fly," Irma said.

So, the group of thirteen made their way to the pyramid without any incident and climbed or flew up to the top. Fionnaoch just hovered up as Garret did while Sandpit, Gargoyle, Mr. H., Napoleon, and Crone, who climbed with amazing speed that belied her age, climbed up the steps. The top of the pyramid was a square about 200 feet by 200 feet with the ceiling about twelve feet high held up by several large pillars. In the center of the space, there was a great stone chair that faced away from them.

"Hello?" Hay Lin said.

"Greetings," a voice coming from the other side of the chair said. The chair turned around to face them and revealed a tall, thin man with sandy brown hair and light brown robes with tan skin. His face was covered in a simple mask that matched the color of his robes.

"Are you Sandstorm?" Will asked.

"Yes, I am Guardian," Sandstorm said," You must be the ones from my dreams that come to ask me and my sister to fight the evil darkness, am I correct?"

"You are," Will responded a little astounded.

"I cannot speak for my sister, but I will help you to stop this evil," Sandstorm said," I will take you to her home at the Great Springs and we shall see if she will join us."

Sandpit walked up to the man and handed him the scroll that the Oracle had given him. Sandstorm took the scroll and broke the seal and read it to himself. When he had finished it, he looked at Sandpit and then Gargoyle and then stood up and pointed at both of them. He fired a stream of sand at Sandpit and a beam of grey light at Gargoyle's hand. When the others tried to step in they were stopped by Crone and then Sandstorm suddenly finished what he had done. The first shock was when Gargoyle held up his club arm to show it had become a large, metal, fully-functioning hand.

"My hand," Gargoyle muttered and then realized something," I can talk!"

"Incredible," Sandpit whispered to himself and looked at his friend.

"The Oracle asked me to do these things for you as rewards for your good deeds and to help in the days to come," Sandstorm said.

"Thank you so much! I can't believe it, I can speak and I have two hands again!" the ecstatic Gargoyle said in his brutish voice.

"Yes, many thanks indeed for this wondrous gift," Sandpit said in soft, deep voice.

"You are welcome," Sandstorm said;" Now we should go find my sister."

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"The Master… commands… your… help," Mutten said to the group before him. Two were tall men with claws, hair made of flames, small horns on there heads, and bright red skin, the Efreet brothers. The next was a fat pig-man by the name of Swinely who was eating something from a bowl with his hands. Gorgana was next and she has a snake tail, scales, Medusa hair, and parts of her skin had turned to stone. The last was a tall bat creature with long spindly legs and an even longer rat-like tail by the name of Echo.

"Listen runt," Swinely said, still stuffing his face," Go tell Fenrir to do his own dirty work."

"Now, now porky," Gorgana said and got a glare from her companion," It might be fun to kill some Heart holders."

"We agree," the Efreets said in unison.

"What of you, oh glorious leader?" Gorgana asked Echo.

"_I think we should help our old… friend, but first you must tell your master that I need the rest of the day to call in some of our associates_," Echo said telepathically.

"Yes," Mutten said and then disappeared from the cave lair.

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"Are you three coming?" a very annoyed Pyros asked Oak, Metal 7, and Kakaski.

"Be patient and watch you tongue reptile," Kim Kakaski said," Lest you desire to lose any of the three or all of them at once."

And with that, the group of four teleported to the prison that held the army of Lurdens. The only guards there were Vathek, Raythor, and Tynar and they were very surprised to see the three intruders. Oak ran with amazing speed at Vathek and knocked him into the wall across the room with a single punch while Kim took out the other two with arrows made of lightening and fire. All three of the guards disappeared in flashes of light.

"Astral drops," Pyros growled," I shall hold up the barrier while you three teleport the Lurdens back to base."

"We know the plan scaly," Metal 7 said.

The three Guild members joined in a circle while Pyros upheld his barrier of darkness against the Heart Holders. Slowly but surely, the energy from the cages surrounded the Lurdens, who were freaking out. Pyros was having trouble keeping up the barrier because apparently two or more of the Heart holders were trying to fold into the prison. Then with a huge flash of light, all of the Lurdens were transported back to Guild HQ.

"Done," Oak said.

"It's about time," Pyros said as he teleported out of the prison. The Guild members followed suit just as a fold opened to admit Dorian, Elyon, Ironwood, and Golem. Elyon looked around surveying the damage of where the Astral Drop Vathek had hit the wall and the two elemental arrows hit the ground.

"This is terrible," Elyon said partially to herself," Now they have any army of Lurdens."

"It could be worse Elyon," Dorian said," At least none of the guards were hurt."

"That was a good idea Dorian and it did keep them from getting hurt," Elyon said with a smile for him.

"I can't take all the credit, Ackeron and Aurora helped me," Dorian said politely.

"All the same, this is a bad sign," Ironwood said. They all knew that things just got that much harder.

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The group on Auras followed Sandstorm through the fold he had created that lead to a mountainous region covered by pine trees and dotted with geysers and hot springs. They followed Sandstorm down a well worn path to a very large, broiling hot spring. It was truly beautiful and that was only ruined by the strong smell of sulfer that permeated the air.

"Sister, it is I," Sandstorm yelled out.

"It has been a long time brother," said the woman who rose out of the springs. She too was tall, thin and had the same tan skin but that was where the resemblance ended. Steam had fiery red hair and she wore green blue clothing that made her look like a belly dancer. She also had a mask like her brother and hers too matched her clothing.

"May I present my sister Steam," Sandstorm said with a bow," Steam, these are the Guardians of the Veil, the Regents of Earth, Prince Garret of Jaxel, Lady Crone of Golias, Lord Fionnaoch of Ulzbor, and Gargoyle and Sandpit of Meridian."

"Greetings to you all. To what do I owe the pleasure?" Steam said walking across the water to solid ground.

"We need your help to stop the forces of an evil man named Fenrir from covering everything in eternal darkness," Will said to her.

"I assume you're a going brother?" he nodded and she continued," Well it could be fun, why not."

"May I say my lady, you made the right choice," Fionnaoch said with a dashing smile for her.

"You'll regret it when we blow you away pests," Everyone jerked around to see Hurricana clinging to a tree.

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Alchemy had just gotten to the Silver Dragon to look for the girls. She knew that they liked to hang out there a lot and thought it was a good place to start. She went in just as they were opening up and went to the first person she thought would know, and it just happened to be Yan Lin.

"Excuse me but are Hay Lin and the others here?" Alchemy asked her.

"Nope, sorry," Yan Lin said a little distracted.

"I really need to see them, it's really important, so can you tell me where they are?" Alchemy asks hopefully.

"I'm not sure," Yan Lin said even though she knew they were on Auras," I'm sorry that I can't be more helpful."

"Well thanks anyway," Alchemy said as she turned and was about to leave when she asked the fateful question," Does the word 'Guardian' mean anything to you?"

Yan Lin was walking away and she froze in her tracks and turned around and suddenly to look the girl in the eye.

"How do you know that name?" Yan Lin whispered.

"I was-,"

"Keep your voice down," Yan Lin whispered fiercely.

"You'll think this is crazy but… I was told in a dream by a wolf," Alchemy said.

"Was there anything special about this wolf?" Yan Lin asked hurriedly.

"He could speak to me, he was pure white, and he called this…" Alchemy said holding out the necklace," the Light Pendant."

"You have to come with me now," Yan Lin said to the girl and then yelled to the kitchen," Mira, you're in charge, I have to go for a while!"

Together, they went into the basement to meet with destiny.

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"Ha Ha!" Aquos bellowed as he rounded up Crustaceataurs on Snout," This is the most fun I've had in years!"

The Crustaceataurs looked different then other Arthrotaurs because they had a more monstrous appearance on the human half. They have four arms on the torso (two human and two claws), mandibles, feelers, large dark eyes, are very violent and brutish, and respect those that are powerful and cruel. They of course were outclassed in terms of brutishness when compared to Aquos. Aquos trapped about fifty in a dark tainted bubble of water and teleported them to the Guild HQ just as Arc came back riding on a large cephalopod made of the same green ooze that comprised the Brethren.

"Aquos how was your hunting?" Arc said to Aquos cheerfully.

"Very well," Aquos replied in an equally cheery voice," That last group makes about 200. What of you and the beast."

"Oak did well making the Ooze Kraken," Arc said petting the horrible creature," He and I caught about the same number."

"Excellent!" Aquos responded petting Snout. Unlike the other members of their groups they got along very well because of their similar natures and love of hunting. They made an ideal team to hunt in the swamps of Arthrosia.

"Shall we head back?" Arc asked.

"Let's catch some more together this time," Aquos said dipping his ball and chain into the water," I sense a large group that way."

"Let's go recruit them then," Arc said and they started laughing as they went towards the party of Crustaceataurs.

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**Preview: Continuation of the legend of the Light Wolf, battle at the Great Springs, and transmutations.**


	15. Chapter 15

**Thanks to all of my reviewers, Guardian's Light (read his stuff too, it's good stuff), CCRox4Eva (I'll try to fit some in next chapter), DragonRaiderX9(he likes cheese), and XV-Dragon(Update soon dude, come on). Thanks to readers that didn't review kinda. Come on people, just one review each is all I'm asking, JUST ONE! Though more are very welcome.**

**To everybody, OMG kdh lol.**

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"Where are you you little runt!?" Swinely yelled out into the coming night.

"Patience porky," Gorgana said and again got a glare from the pig man.

"I am very glad that I vill be able to once again join ze forces of ze night like I did in the Wolf Wars and be zer great general," said the skeletal man in once fine clothing that once might have been black. He had one glowing red eye and the other was scarred shut. Most disturbing was his flesh stretched over his boney frame.

"If you were such a great general, Baron Krieg, than why didn't you win?" asked a man whose skin was pale and covered in tattoos of red and black. He was bald and fairly short as well.

"Vell Glass Eyes, I vas shot down from my mount by zat fool champion for good Beowulf, but he got his from vhat I heard on ze other zide," Baron Krieg said to the glass eyed man.

"When do we get to smash?" asked a large lumpy looking troll-like creature with a club.

"_Be quiet! All of you_," Echo told them all," _These are my associates runt, can you teleport us all to the place were your master dwells or not_?"

"Yes… my lord," Mutten said to Echo as he walked out from the shadows. They were all teleported in a flash of light to an ancient looking graveyard in front of a crumbling castle.

"Hmm… What a lovely place," Gorgana said sarcastically.

"Sssssso you are the onesssss that the master wants to help us," Pyros said walking towards the group of nine.

"Zat vould be us," the Baron said to him.

"What are you waiting for, lead them to the master!" Pyros yelled at the little man.

"Yes," Mutten said and then lead the group to Fenrir's chambers.

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"Blunk, come out we need to go to Candracar," Yan Lin said hurridly in the basement. When he came out Yan Lin was ready to calm down Alchemy, but she was staying surprisingly calm.

"Cool, mutant frog man," Alchemy said looking more closely at the passling.

"Blunk no mutant frog man, Blunk passling," Blunk said to the girl.

"Why are you so calm about this?" Yan Lin asked a little mystified.

"I guess that talking to a wolf and finding out that I'm needed to save the world kinda softens the blow of seeing a strange little man," Alchemy responded.

"I see…Blunk I need you to open a fold to Candracar," Yan Lin said to him.

"Okay," Blunk said and then opened a fold with the Tonga Tooth.

"Cool," Alchemy whispered to herself.

"Well, come on let's get a move on young lady," Yan Lin said as she ushered the girl through the fold and Blunk followed behind her.

"This place is beautiful," Alchemy said getting her first look at Candracar.

"Alchemy?!" Elyon said in surprise.

"Elyon?!" Alchemy yelled back and the two ran at each other to hug their close friend.

"What are you doing here," Elyon asked her friend when the released their hug.

"A magical wolf from my dreams told me that I have to help save the world from destruction from the forces of darkness by finding you through the girls," Alchemy said as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

"Uh-huh," Elyon said as Dorian and Golem walked up to them," Alchemy this is Prince Dorian of Parador and Golem of Aridia."

"Wow, royalty and a big rock guy. How's it goin'?" Alchemy said.

"Greetings and very well thank you," Dorian said.

"Same here," Golem seconded.

"Alchemy, I'm sorry that I couldn't tell you about-," Elyon was cut off.

"I understand that you couldn't talk about this," Alchemy said to her friend," Beowulf said that the people of Earth aren't usually allowed to see magic because it would cause chaos and destruction. This is crazy though. I suppose that you have magic powers and are a princess or something?"

"No," Elyon said to her friend," I have magic powers and I'm a queen."

"Seriously?!"

"Yep."

"That is so cool!" Alchemy said," Yesterday I didn't think magic was real and today my friend is a magical queen and I am going to help save the world."

"Hello Alchemy," the Oracle said walking towards the group," I am the Oracle and we have much to discuss."

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"Oak, take the remaining Brethren and bring them to me," Flamel said to the metal woman.

"Yes," she said as she disappeared.

"Ms. Kakaski and Metal 7, you two are in charge of transmuting together the Lurdens and the Crustaceataurs," Nicholas Flamel said to his minions," I would like it if you could give this creature something in the way of fire or lightening breath and preferably something extremely destructive."

"Yes my lord," they said in unison as they disappeared in puffs of smoke.

"Arc," he said to the man of shifting colors," I want you to take the Ooze Kraken and the Mechanosaurus Rex to the training grounds."

"As you wish my lord," Arc said as he disappeared in a flash of multi-colored light.

The infamous Head Chemist was still in his throne room of sorts filled with his experiments that included his many vials filled with alchemic potions, his animal test subjects, and books and notes full of knowledge. Most importantly, there was the orb on the table on the south side of the room. It seemed to pulsate with a sickly green glow and impressions of faces could be seen just under its surface. Thanks to his own genius and the power of that orb, he had summoned two of his most deadly minions to him, Kim Kakaski and the mighty Oak.

"Brethren here," Oak said as if appearing at his thought of her. He dismissed her and the remaining Brethren walked into the throne room. It was, luckily, a large room and the Brethren were careful not to harm their master's things lest they feel his wrath.

"You were chosen because you were the best of the best," He said to the assorted Brethren," But against the enemy that is not enough. So now you will join with the power of the fallen Medics and Mechanics and become Collective."

Many of the Brethren were confused and others even began to panic and attempt to escape. But all of the doors were sealed and Flamel pulled one of the secret levers near his throne causing all of his things to disappear in a flash of red light. On the floor was a huge circle filled with the strange runes of magic and alchemy. Holding up the orb with the energy of his former officers, he threw it into the center of the room and with another flash of red light the whole room flashed with intense heat.

Once that was over only two beings were left in the room. One was the infamous alchemist and the other was a being composed of black metal plates, noxious green gas, and two large wings made of green ooze. He shared the same horrible red eyes that his master had.

"Welcome into existence Collective," Flamel said to his newest minion.

"Craaaaaaaaawwwww," screeched the creature as it stretched out to its full impressive height.

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"Do you really think you can defeat me here, let alone all of us hideous one?" Steam asked Hurricana.

"Of course not fool, my new friends will do that for me," Hurricana said with her voice full of contempt. Form all sides, creatures that ranged from animals to what many of the group guessed were sprites walked towards them with eyes as black as night.

"You put them under a spell you monster," Steam yelled at her.

"Indeed I did," Hurricana said with a smile," The power of darkness so easily bound the elemental creatures of your home, so now… ATTACK!!!"

"HALT!" Sandstorm yells and a huge flash of light blinds everyone there. The elemental creatures shook themselves and revealed that their eyes had been released of the darkness.

"How could you break my spell?!" Hurricana asked angrily.

"I may not have as much raw power as you do, but thanks to my skill, the power of light, and my ancestry you were easily outdone," Sandstorm stated simply.

"Steam and I are half sprites… and half Elders," Sandstorm said simply.

"That's impossible! They were wiped out in the ancient Wolf Wars," Hurricana said disbelievingly.

"Our mother was saved spirited away by the greatest of the Elemental Lords, and fell in love with the last Heart Holder and here we are," Steam said.

"Now leave!!!" the twins said together as they fired at Hurricana with a combination of Steam and blowing sand. She jumped from her perch with amazing speed and landed on a rocky outcrop.

"Next time we meet, you shall all be destroyed!" Hurricana yelled as she teleported away.

"That woman has major issues," Irma said.

"Just a thought everyone, I believe we should be going back to Candracar now," Fionnaoch said to the collected group. They all agreed and left through the fold after Steam said something to all of the collected elementals and they dispersed.

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Fenrir was in his room along with the orb of dark energy that held his developing lieutenant. He was watching through his minds eye how Hurricana was beaten again by the forces of good and light. It did not matter to Fenrir though because soon enough he would complete the power of five to increase their power and skill.

"Come in Mutten," Fenrir spoke to the door and it opened to admit his servant and his old allies from Auras and…

"Welcome Echo," Fenrir said to the bat man," And a special welcome to you Baron Krieg, it has been a long time."

"You know me?!" the Baron said shocked.

"I know you in memories from the mask," Fenrir stated," Memories from the Wolf Wars."

"Da, I remember zat mask now. I miss zose days," Krieg said to the Night Wolf.

"Now that you are here my friends, I have special jobs for you," Fenrir said and then looked down at Mutten," Go get the idiots and tell them to come here immediately."

"Yes…Master," Mutten said as he ran from the room.

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**Preview: Continued legend of the Light Wolf, transmutation of the beasts, and other fascinating stuff that I haven't thought of yet.**


	16. Chapter 16

Thanks to my reviewers from chapter 15; Guardian's Light, XV-Dragon, CCRox4Eva, and DragonRaiderX9. **Thanks to a suggestion by DragonRaiderX9, I'm going to do a recap of Heroes and Villains that I created and/or named. This is just a recap and has no new info. **

**Heroes: Heart Holders: Steam and Sandstorm of Auras are half Sprite/Elders. Crone is the plant lady from Golias. Fionnaoch of Ulzbor was held within his prison there for corrupting Miranda and Cedric. Prince Garret of Jaxel holds the mechanical sword Quintet Fang and has one mechanical arm. Prince Dorian of Parador is a musician. Ackeron of Arthrosia is an Archnotaur. Aria of Imtal is a mermaid. Golem of Aridia is a rock man. **

**Heroes: Other: Aurora is an apprentice of Candracar after being revived from Will and she is an Altermere. Varog is an Archnotaur from Arthrosia, specifically a tarantula. Coordinator is from Jaxel and joined or heroes again after the Head Medic and Mechanic were killed.**

**Villains: Fenrir and Friends: Fenrir is the brother of the Oracle and has the power of darkness tainted quintessence. Pyros is the cross between Phobos and Cedric and has power over darkness tainted fire. Hurricana is the cross between Miranda and Narissa and has power over darkness tainted wind. Aquos is the cross between Frost and the remnants of the Tracker and Snout is the cross between Sniffer and Crimson and both Snout and Aquos hold power over darkness tainted water. Mutten is the little servant of Fenrir and he can turn into a mass of tentacles. **

**Villains: Auras Gang: Echo the leader and bat man creature and a telepath. Gorgana, the medusa-like lady. Swinely the pig man. The Efreet Brothers are twin fire elementals. Groll is the troll-like brute. Glass Eyes is the man covered ion red and black tattoos and with two crystal eyes. Baron Krieg is an undead general from the ancient Wolf Wars.**

**Villains: Remaining Alchemist Guild members: Nicholas Flamel the Head Chemist and holder of the Philosopher's Stone. Kim Kakaski is a user of elemental magic of an unknown origin from a different reality. Oak is a cyborg from a different reality. Metal 7 is a metal man that looks like an exceptionally ornate suit of armor made of several different metals. Ooze Kraken is a huge cephalopod made from the green ooze of many of the Brethren. Arc is the mysterious alchemist made of shifting color. Collective is the monstrosity made of from 200 Brethren and the energy from the top Medics and Mechanics. Mechanosaurus Rex is a large mechanical beast.**

**Right, so that was a recap of characters and there is no need to review this unless you really want to. Again, this is just a recap I made in like five minutes.**


	17. Chapter 17

**I thanked you reviewers in the recap, what more do you want!? I forgot to thank the readers who didn't review though, so thanks, I guess. One review per reader please, COME ON!!! More are always are welcome of course.**

**OMG kdh, lol. Also to CCRox4Eva, you're gonna love the next chapter.**

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"How do we transmute over 1000 Lurdens and Crustaceataurs?" Metal 7 asked Kakaski. All of the Lurdens and Crustaceataurs were trapped in a huge open pit surrounded by spikes

"Well, we contain them in a binding circle and press it inward upon them," she paused before she continued," When they are packed densely enough, we mix our powers with some of the master's and some of Arc's alchemic potions and see what horrible creature comes out."

"This is will be tricky, easy enough for the master with our help, but we two alone…" Metal 7 said with his voice trailing off.

"What are you saying?" she asked the metal man raising an eyebrow.

"We go back to the master and ask for him, Arc, and Oak to help," he said simply.

"Fine, but you will be the one to ask him, I don't want to piss him off after what happened to the Medics and Mechanics," Kim said as the pair walked back into the lair.

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When the Guardians returned to Candracar with the transformed Gargoyle and Sandpit and their two new companions, they were surprised to find Alchemy there. After Alchemy had given her explanation the Oracle stepped in to give them the more detailed explanations of the Wolf Wars, Elders, and Beowulf. All of the Heart holders, Gargoyle and Sandpit, Varog, Coordinator (who had taken residence on Candracar temporarily), Caleb, Aurora and other members of the Council of Candracar, Yan Lin, Blunk, and of course Alchemy were there.

"Alchemy, as we now know, is the holder of the ancient Pendant of Light," the Oracle said to the collective group," This artifact comes from a dark and evil period in history known as the Wolf Wars, the same time period in which the Mask of Fenrir was created. The forces of evil followed Fenrir, not my brother but the original maker of the mask who left part of himself in that mask and joined together with my brother. The forces of good were led by a man named Beowulf, who used the ancient Pendant of Light and put the mark of the Light Wolf upon it and in the end he, like Fenrir and his mask, left part of himself within the Pendant. While what Fenrir left was a parasite, what Beowulf left was a guiding force to help the Pendant bearer."

"I don't want to offend either of our new companions, and if I am then I am extremely sorry, but what are the Elder's and what do they have to do with the Wolf Wars?" Garret asked as politely as he could.

"Would you care to answer his question?" the Oracle said looking at Steam and Sandstorm.

"We do not know much of the wars, but as to what an Elder is than I suppose…" Sandstorm said looking thoughtful for a moment," They were humanoids whose magical knowledge and prowess was tied to every fiber of their beings. The proper name is very hard to pronounce for the younger beings and since they lived such incredibly long lives they were simply called the Elders by the younger beings of the worlds."

"As to what they had to do with the Wars," the Oracle continued after Sandstorm had finished," You must understand that these Wars occurred very long ago, near the time of the creation of the Heart of Candracar. Many wanted the power of the Elders and those that did joined under Fenrir while Beowulf fought to defend them because he knew it was the right thing to do. Like today's Fenrir, the Fenrir of old used the power of Dark Heart of Candracar. After millennia of war, the Elders didn't want to see the younger beings or their champion have to suffer, so they made the ultimate sacrifice by joining together from all over the universe at their home world and sacrificed themselves and their home to seal the portals to the Shadow Reality into three orbs and destroy the forces of evil. Beowulf was lost while holding back the forces of evil that attempted to stop the Elders."

Everyone just sat there after that to let it sink in because it's not everyday you hear about something like that, even for beings such as they.

"So, yeah. What can you tell me about my magic powers?" Alchemy asked.

"I know that you can transform into another form and you have power over light and good, but other than that I cannot give you the answers," the Oracle said," I believe that somehow Queen Elyon can."

"How can I though? I don't have a clue how to even start," Elyon asked a little distressed.

"Again, I do not have the answers," the Oracle said," I think that you two should ask Beowulf."

"How do we do that?" Alchemy asked the Oracle.

"I believe that you should use the Ancient Meditation Chamber in the royal palace on Meridian, and in so doing you could both make contact with Beowulf," the Oracle stated simply.

"That sounds like a great idea," Elyon said enthusiastically.

"Uh… What's Meridian?" Alchemy asked her friend.

"The name of the world I rule," Elyon told her friend.

"Cool."

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"What do you see?" a voice asked a tall horned man wearing black robes.

"I see the forces of the night waiting until they are complete to strike," he said looking at the taro cards displayed before him," I see the alchemists also readying their forces and good is training to stop the forces of both. If the forces of good fail this time then we shall never gain the thirteenth one Coffinspawn."

"I know Ori Oni," the voice said to him.

"What should we do?" a second voice asked.

"Well Tombgears, we should assist the forces of good by eliminating the creatures of the Alchemists Guild," Ori Oni said and then paused," But we must be subtle and only destroy the one known as Ooze Kraken and assist the forces of good by sending some allies their way."

"Urnashes suggests that we awake champions of yore from Ulzbor," a third voice said to the Oni.

"Yes, an excellent suggestion. Any ideas from you Venombones?" Ori Oni asked a fourth voice.

"We should release the Druids of Golias from their imprisonment," the fourth voice suggested.

"Good, contact our agents on Golias and Ulzbor and tell them to use the Death Weapons we gave to them to unleash the forces of good to stop the Night Wolf," Ori Oni said to his four servants.

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"You are correct that this is a large transmutation for just you two," Nicholas said to Kakaski and Metal 7," I didn't realize how many were here. Now that everything is in place, Arc send in the Ooze Kraken."

"As you wish," Arc goaded the large ooze cephalopod into the densely packed circle of Lurdens and Crustaceataurs. Flamel, Oak, Arc, Metal 7, and Kakaski were at five points around the circle and at the five alternate points were huge vats of different colored alchemic solutions. The participants start to chant, except for Oak because she isn't much of a talker, and the beings within the circle start to glow with a horrible red glow as the vats start to boil and bubble emitting noxious fumes that joined into the circle.

The energies in and around the circle start to swirl going ever faster and attracting lighting from the cloudy sky. A high pitched wail started to emanate from the maelstrom of energy and it grew ever louder as the ritual went on. Just as the wailing was reaching its peak, suddenly the swirling energies shifted to swirl in the reverse direction and the wailing began to soften. Eventually the noise and light stopped leaving the hideous creature made from Alchemic Ooze, Lurdens, and Crustaceataurs in the center of the circle. The process seemed like it had taken hours, when in reality it had taken about twenty minutes.

"Well," Flamel said looking at the creature and then at the melted vats that had held the alchemic solutions," This beast is certainly one of the most vile things I have ever helped to create."

"Indeed my lord," Metal 7 said to the head chemist," What shall we call this foul creature?"

"We shall call it… Abomination," Flamel said to his assorted minions.

"How… appropriate," Kim Kakaski said.

"Agree," Oak said cheerfully.

"What are your new orders sir?" Arc asked his master.

"Arc, I want you to start training Abomination. Oak, work with the Mechanosaurus Rex to see what you two can do together," Flamel then turned to Kakaski and Metal 7," I want you two to attack Jaxel, Fenrir _commands_ it."

"Yes," they said collectively as they disappear in puffs of smoke or go to their appointed monsters to train.

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"Wow, this room is cool," Alchemy said to Elyon as they stepped into the Meditation Chamber.

"Yeah," Elyon said to her friend," This place is always peaceful. I come here just to relax sometimes."

"So how do we begin?" Alchemy asked.

"We sit down here and face each other," Elyon said and sat cross-legged in the center of the room and Alchemy followed suit facing her friend.

"What now?"

"I have to use my powers to put us into a trance so we can hopefully contact Beowulf," Elyon said while concentrating," Just open up your mind and let the magic flow through you."

They sat there letting their minds join to find the Light Wolf.

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"Remember the last time that Elyon went into that room?" Hay Lin asked her friends.

"No," Garret and Dorian said to them.

"Of course you guys wouldn't, you weren't here," Matt said.

"Neither were you," Will pointed out.

"True, but you guys told me about it later on," Matt retorted.

The Guardians, the Regents, Garret, and Dorian were guarding the Royal Palace in case of an attack because of the last time they Elyon went in there. Caleb was patrolling along the palace walls along with Vathek, Sandpit, Gargoyle, Aldarn, Raythor, and the rest of the regular group. The other Heart holders were staying on Candracar just in case anything were to happen while Blunk was on Earth just in case he was needed their. Things actually went smoothly… at first.

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"_Remember to only attack the Earth Guardian, Gorgana_," Echo said to his second in command.

"No problem boss," she said.

"And the rest of you?" he asked to his other assorted minions.

"Groll smash big metal hand guy," said the troll-like monster.

"We burn down the buildings," the grinning Efreet brothers said together.

"I take care of the store houses filled with food," Swinely said.

"I go where I am needed," Glass Eyes said.

"Good, now go do what you do my monstrous friends," Echo thought at them as they left their collective hiding place in the woods outside of the city.

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"I forgot how beautiful the royal city was this time of year," Metal 7 said looking down on the capitol of Jaxel," It disgusts me so."

"No worries my friend," Kim Kakaski said to the metal man," We'll destroy it soon enough."

"I have no qualms about attacking now, do you?" Metal 7 asked his ally.

"No," she said with a grin on her usually sour face. The pair of Guild members walked down the rocky path to the city that they were about to destroy. It could only get uglier from here.

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**Preview: None this time, I plan to wing it. Kdh forever.**


	18. Chapter 18

**Thanks to my four faithful reviewers, CCRox4Eva, Guardian's Light, DragonRaiderX9, and XV-Dragon. Thanks to my other readers who didn't review I guess. As always, I ask for just one review per reader, COME ON!!! As always more are welcome.**

**Kdh. Orochimaru banjo solo forever.**

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As our heroes were guarding the way to the Ancient Meditation Chamber they suddenly heard the alarm bells ringing. The guards started shouting as Caleb ran up to them.

"What's going on?" Cornelia asked him.

"The city is being attacked by strange creatures," Caleb said and then continued," Two fire men are burning buildings, a huge creature is fighting Gargoyle and Sandpit, and a pig is attacking the food storehouses."

"Alright, we split up," Will said to the group," Gargoyle and Sandpit can handle themselves, but still, Caleb you and the other guards help them if you can. Irma and Garret, I want you two to take out the fire guys. The rest of us will take out the pig man while Dorian stays here to guard Alchemy and Elyon."

Everyone acknowledged that they knew what to do. Irma and Garret headed into the city, Dorian stayed where he was, Caleb went to help the other guards, and the four other Guardians left to face the pig man. They never noticed the snake lady with Medusa hair following them to Swinely.

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"Groll smash!!!" the monster yelled as he swung his club at Gargoyle who blocked it with his metal hand, but was still stunned by the blow. Sandpit was attacking Groll on the other side but Groll appeared to hardly feel the blows. Unluckily for Gargoyle, Groll was stronger then him but luckily, Groll was as dumb as a box of hammers.

"Sandpit, do a whirlwind around his face!" Gargoyle yelled. As Sandpit did that, Groll became distracted and dropped his club. Gargoyle took this opportunity to throw the club away and run at Groll and hit him with his large metallic fist right in the gut knocking him on his ass. Groll, unlike the other hits, felt this one very clearly and it winded him to boot. Sandpit had just rematerialized into his humanoid form and was about to finish off Groll when Gargoyle was hit and knocked back by a blast of energy.

The man who had fired the blast was a short, bald man covered in tattoos with two eyes made of crystal clear glass. He looked down at the injured Groll with disgust.

"You great stupid lummox," he yelled at Groll," Mutten take him back to the lair!"

The little man appeared and touched Groll and they both teleported away. Glass Eyes just disappeared in a puff of smoke while the guards, Sandpit, and a recovering Gargoyle looked on.

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As Caleb was running to help Gargoyle and Sandpit, he stopped in the nearly disserted part of the palace when a shadow blocked the light from above. He turned quickly and looked up with his blade drawn. Nothing was there.

"_Hello_," a voice said in Caleb's mind. He turned back around to face a strange bat man. The creature had the head of a bat except he had an extra glowing red eye and a long rat like tail swinging behind him. Its legs were long and spindly and tipped with three claws, while the rest of the body was covered with its large bat wings.

"Who are you?" Caleb said with his sword at the ready.

"_I am Echo, and you are coming with me now_," Echo said.

"Dream on bat," Caleb said charging at him.

"_Fool_," Echo said as he blasted Caleb with a purple energy from his center eye. Caleb fell forward, completely unconscious. Echo smiled to himself as he picked up the boy with his tail.

"_Mutten, time for me to go_," Echo said to the little man wherever he was. Mutten suddenly appeared and transported both Caleb and Echo back to the lair.

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Irma and Garret were heading towards the fires. As they were getting closer they saw more people fleeing. Eventually they saw the two men with bright red skin shooting fire from their hands and laughing all the time.

"You two with the bad sun burns, knock it off!" Irma yelled as she hit them with a huge blast of water. When it hit them it knocked them backwards and they started steaming and screaming. Garret took the opportunity to put out some of the worst fire with icy winds from Quintet Fang. The two men managed to get out of the way of another water blast from Irma and go further back down the cobble stone road.

"How dare you disturb our fun!" they said together with rage filled voices," No one stops the Efreet brothers and gets away with it you filthy scum!"

They fired twin pillars of fire from their hands at Garret and Irma respectively. Irma dodged as did Garret and the Efreet brothers jumped at Irma to finish her quickly with their long fiery claws. Irma couldn't react soon enough but Garret was quick enough to make a wall of ice in front of her. It was then that it came to Garret.

"Irma, focus on one and I'll take the other!" Garret yelled to her and she nodded back in acquiescence. She cornered on of the two brothers while Garret knocked the other back to separate him from his brother. The Efreet brothers started to panic because they always fought together and alone they weren't fairing well against either Irma or Garret. It was then that Garret got in a lucky shot, plunging the icy blade into the heart of the Efreet brother he was fighting.

"Ahhhhhhhhhh!!!" both of the Efreet brothers screamed in unimaginable pain. Irma and Garret backed off from the brother they were fighting and watched on as the Efreet brothers burst into flame and leave nothing but small piles of ash.

"That was bizarre," Irma said looking at the ashes.

"You're not kidding there," Garret said looking around," We should put out these fires quickly and head to storehouse to help the others."

"Agreed," Irma said starting to put out the fires.

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Oak was training with the Mechanosaurus Rex to test it out to see what it could do. In reality she was doing what she thought of as training, which in her mind meant beating the crap out of it. She had just taken off her cloak to reveal her metal body. Her upper arms were fleshless bones while her face was covered in bandages.

"Fun time," Oak said smiling under her face bandages at the clockwork creature. The Mechanosaurus Rex was basically a smaller clockwork version of the modern Godzilla in appearance with the exception of the face guard and his drill tail. Oak charged at the M-Rex and jumped into the air and extended her leg clamps and plunged feet first into the creature's head. With a roar of rage, it started to fight back by batting at the cyborg lady with it's large claws but Oak skillfully dodged it and started ripping off the face guard.

The M-Rex started shaking it's head side to side in an attempt to shake off the cyborg while attempting to hit her with it's claws. She had to jump off because she couldn't stay on and dodge the claw attacks and she readied her knuckles by putting them into place and jumped at the chest of the M-Rex. She then extended the spike in her knuckles and punctured the chest of the clockwork creature. It roared in pain from this hit as Oak burrowed her way into the chest of the machine creature, ripping through it's armored plating, and proceeded to smash all of the gears and cogs from the inside. When she had had her fun destroying the insides of the M-Rex, she left through the hole she had made in it's chest and was face to face with Nicholas Flamel.

"Oak, I told you to TRAIN the beast, not DESTROY IT!!!" he screamed at the top of his voice.

"Not worth it," she responded simply.

"True," Flamel said changing his tone;" If you felled it so easily then it would probably fallen easily to the forces of good."

"Transmute?" Oak asked.

"Good idea, we shall add it's parts to abomination," Flamel said as the cyborg smiled on under her bandages," We shall make Abomination stronger and add the best of this beast to it."

"Agree."

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"Greetings, I am Glass Eyes and I'll be your killer tonight," Glass Eyes said to Dorian as he appears out of nowhere.

"I will not permit you to harm Queen Elyon," Dorian said readying himself and his instrument for battle.

"I have no interest in her…at the moment," Glass Eyes said taking a more casual pose," Right now I only have eyes for… YOU!"

Glass Eyes fired beams of red light at the young prince who easily countered it with his own magic. The two face off in a tug of war of magical energy as Glass Eyes's red tattoos start to glow.

"You can't win against me Heart holder," Glass Eyes said," I have a few tricks up my sleeve."

As he said that his black tattoos started to glow as well and suddenly he erupts in a flash of red and black light. Dorian is momentarily blinded as he focuses all of his power into a bubble like magical shield. When the light had faded he looked around at the destruction caused by Glass Eyes and noticed him standing in a crater.

"You survived?!" Glass Eyes said in astonishment," Damn you to the shadows! Mutten take me to headquarters!"

No sooner had he said it then the little man appeared and before Dorian could make another move the teleported away. He just hoped that he could protect Elyon if any more enemies came around and that his friends didn't have to face anyone like that in the near future.

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Swinely was having a good making a pig of himself in the food storehouses. What he didn't eat he covered and ruined with his element, mud. Despite his hoggish appearance and whiney demeanor, he was an extremely powerful fighter and his mud based powers were second to none.

"Hey porky!" Will yelled," Back off!"

"Nobody calls me porky!" Swinely yells as he turns around and fires blasts of mud at the Guardians. Cornelia stopped the attacks with ease and sent them back at him.

"You think a little earth power will save you?" Swinely said as he started firing mud balls at the other three Guardians," I am Swinely, I shall prevail!"

"Quintessence!"

"Fire!"

Trainee and Will attacked the pig at the same time with a lightening bolt and a huge fireball. When the smoke had cleared, there was a shallow crater and bits of mud all over the place. Suddenly, the mud flew together to coalesce back into the disgusting form of Swinely.

"That's impossible," Cornelia whispered to herself.

"Nothing is impossible, dear earth Guardian," a female voice whispered back. Cornelia turned around and prepared to attack, but was shocked to see a reptilian face with snakes for hair eye level with her while she was up in the air. Before Cornelia could react the snake took Cornelia's right arm and bit into it with her fangs. Cornelia screamed in pain causing the others to look over at their friend and Swinely took the opportunity to hit them with his mud blasts.

"Been fun," Gorgana said as she jumped away from Cornelia and over to Swinely," Mutten! Come and take us back to base!"

The little man appeared and touched them both and teleported back to their lair with them. Once the other Guardians were free from the mud, they ran over to Cornelia who had plummeted to the ground.

"Cornelia, are you okay!?" Will asked running over to her friend.

"It… hurts," Cornelia says through the pain.

"Let me take a look," Taranee said as she gently held Cornelia's injured arm. Taranee gasped in shock at the bite wound, which appeared to be turning into stone.

"What's wrong!?" Hay Lin and Will asked at the same time and gasped as well when they looked at the wound.

"What do we do?!" Hay Lin asked worriedly.

"I'll take Cornelia to Candracar and you two stay here and tell the others what happened," Will said as she opened the fold.

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Elyon and Alchemy had finally achieved the proper meditative state and were in the mountainous area covered in pine trees in the light of the full moon. It was the exact same place that Alchemy had first met Beowulf in.

"Is this the place?" Elyon asked.

"Yep," Alchemy said looking around for the white wolf," Beowulf, come out, we need to talk with you!"

"_Yes?_" he said appearing before them.

"Elyon, this is Beowulf and Beowulf this is my friend Queen Elyon of Meridian," Alchemy said and then continued," We need to know how to activate my powers, can you tell us now that Elyon is here?"

"_Yes, that was the Heart that could help us_," Beowulf said to himself," _Now that you are here Queen Elyon, we can activate the Pendant. Listen carefully. When you awake you must channel your magical energy into Alchemy and both of you must then say_ Illuminate."

"That's all?" Elyon said incredulously.

"_For you, yes. Alchemy, you must spend the night in the moonlight, to charge your powers. After that, all you have to do is say_ Illuminate _to activate your powers_," Beowulf finished.

"Is there anything else that I need to know?" Alchemy asked.

"_I can tell you nothing else unless in the heat of battle and you truly need my help. Should you ever need advice otherwise, you know where to find me_," Beowulf said as the dream world faded away and the girls woke up.

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Meanwhile on Jaxel, Kim Kakaski and Metal 7 were having fun destroying buildings and terrorizing the citizens when a fold opened up behind them. They turned to see Fionnaoch, Crone, Sandstorm, and Steam step through to face them.

"Now why would a gorgeous creature such as you be attacking all of these people?" Fionnaoch asked Kim," I think we should skip this silly fighting and you and I can go and talk about this privately over a drink, what do you say?"

"I say that I'll cut out your tongue and rip out you innards," Kim said as her right hand started to gather lightening like energy around it, though it was all the colors that one could imagine.

"So no date then?" Fionnaoch asked grinning and summoning his scythe," That's a shame for you; I'm a very good kisser."

"Meet my Elemental Chidori!" Kim said running at him with amazing speed. Fionnaoch ran at her with equal speed powering his scythe and when their two attacks collided they exploded with great force. After the initial hit, they fought magic to magic with Fionnaoch firing energy blades from his scythe and Kakaski firing elemental arrows right back.

"I suppose that you three are going to fight me?" Metal 7 said in a mocking tone," I am Metal 7, master of the seven mystical metals of alchemy; gold, tin, iron, copper, mercury, lead, and silver."

"No, only my brother and I are, Lady Crone is just here to keep an eye on Fionnaoch," Steam said looking over the metal man. His legs seemed to be copper while his torso was made of silver and his arms were made of iron and tin. He carried two weapons, a hammer made of lead and a whip made of mercury.

"That is very foolish," Metal 7 said as he attacked throwing his hammer at Sandstorm and slashing Steam with his magical whip. The hammer hit Sandstorm square in the chest and Steam was cut in two and they both turned into their namesakes and reappeared in their humanoid forms.

"Did you think that we could be defeated so easily," Steam asked.

"That's not the only trick I have," His body dispersed and formed into five copies made of gold, silver, tin, copper, and iron and all carrying the same weapons.

"I am only going to make this offer once; surrender now and we shall spare your life or else we'll reduce you to scrap," Sandstorm said to metal 7.

"I choose your destruction!" Metal 7 said as all of him charged at the twins but just vanished in a flash of darkness.

While they were fighting, Kakaski was just about to finish Fionnaoch with a storm of elemental arrows when she to vanished. Fionnaoch got up and looked around.

"Well, there certainly wont be a second date for her," Fionnaoch said hotly dusting himself off.

"They're up to something to just leave like that… fool," Crone said looking at Fionnaoch," We best get back to Candracar in case anything else is going on."

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**Preview: Their will be some unexpected changes and 2 recycled enemies.**

**Wow, I think this is my longest chapter.**


	19. Chapter 19

**Thanks to my four favorite reviewers, CCRox4Eva (glad you enjoyed the last chapter so much), Guardian's Light (thanks for the tips on Kim), XV-Dragon (here's part of their evil plan), and DragonRaiderX9 (keep up the weird reviews).**

**Thanks also to the readers who didn't review, but would it be so bad to do just one for me?**

**As you all know I don't own WITCH and I also don't own Rimmer Dall from the Shannara series.**

**To anybody who is reading this please review this once just so I can see how many people are actually reading my story, you don't have to write anything, just say you're reading it. You know what I meant when I wrote that last part.**

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Caleb had just woken up in a dark room and had no clue what had happened until it came back to him in a rush. When he tried to get up he found that his limbs were clamped down to the surface he was lying on. It was then that a door opened with barely enough light to show the outline of a figure.

"Let me go you monster!" Caleb yelled.

"Monster? That's not a very nice thing to say to someone who saved your life," a voice said as Caleb felt the figure touch his forehead and then felt searing pain. When Caleb opened up his eyes, he could clearly see around the room as if it were well lit. It was then that he saw the masked figure surrounded by shadows.

"You're Fenrir aren't you?! What do you mean you never saved my life you filthy-" Caleb was suddenly cut off as shadows rapped around his mouth.

"To answer your first question, yes I am Fenrir," he said in a happy tone," I did save your life too, if it weren't for me you'd still be in Aquos."

Fenrir walked closer to Caleb and in a whisper said," You are a unique specimen you know. Apparently when you came into contact with Aquos, you absorbed part of his darkness into yourself and you have an affinity for it. So I brought you here to offer you a job to work for me, what do you say?"

"I'll tell you what I told my mother," Caleb said after his shadow gag had been removed," I will never join power hungry monsters!"

"You know I just want to help you," Fenrir said in a sad tone.

"Like you would ever help anyone but yourself," Caleb said with contempt.

"I'm hurt," Fenrir said as a disk of energy coalesced beside him and Caleb was re-gagged," I just wanted to help you take your revenge on the ones who hurt your beloved Earth Guardian. Look."

A shadowy image appeared on the dark energy showing the fight between the four Guardians and Gorgana and Swinely at the food storehouses. It then showed the injury that Cornelia had gotten and then Will taking her through a fold. While Caleb was seeing all of this, Fenrir was corrupting the good darkness within Caleb and twisting his negative emotions into power.

"You see," Fenrir said with false sympathy," I just want to help you save the Earth Guardian. I can give you the power to get your revenge on the ones who harmed her."

"I don't need your help," Caleb said as his gag was removed again but his was sounding a little disoriented," I could have saved her on my own."

"Against magic as strong as that?" Fenrir said," No, no my boy, they are powerful magical warriors. What could you have done? But if you had power you could protect the girl you love and your friends. As you are, you're weak and helpless against magical foes like you were against Phobos and your mother."

"Well…" Caleb said trailing off and sounding more disoriented. His eyes were starting to turn into black slowly but surely.

"All you have to do is ask and I will give you more power than you have ever dream of," Fenrir said drawing closer to Caleb.

"I… want power," Caleb said as his eyes turned completely black and his bonds disappeared.

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"How are the others doing in transmuting the best of the M-Rex into Abomination?" Nicholas Flamel asked the lady cyborg

"Good," Oak responded.

"Leave me now Oak," Nicholas said to her," Let no one enter my laboratory, understood?"

"Yes," she said as she left closing the large "wooden" doors behind her.

The infamous alchemist knew that in the days to come he would need a strategist and knew that he could trust none he found. But by summoning one from another reality, he could control it and use it's power as he had with Oak and Kim Kakaski. He brought the horrible glowing green orb to him and prepared the ritual of alchemy and magic that required him to clear the room with the secret lever on his throne. He had designed the seal on the floor to be used for multiple rituals and to help channel his power more efficiently.

He started the ritual by sending the disturbing glowing green orb floating into the center of the room as the markings on the floor begin to glow crimson and produce heat. With a final flash of heat and light the ritual was complete, the orb floated back to the somewhat drained Head Chemist and in the center of the room was a tall figure wrapped in black robes.

"What is your name?" Flamel asked the figure.

"My name is Rimmer Dall," the figure stated simply.

"What are you and who do you serve?" Flamel asked.

"I am a Shadowen and I serve you master," Rimmer Dall said and then bowed.

"Excellent," Flamel said. He would have been smiling if he were not just made of alchemic gases.

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"Abomination is an ever more appropriate name for this… creature," Arc said to Metal 7 and Kakaski. It was now the size of a small mountain and supported by four huge legs; one crustacean leg, one mechanical leg, one ooze leg, and one gigantic Lurden leg. It's two main arms were a cross between a Lurden and a machine and a cross between a crustacean claw and a machine and the two main arms were backed up by four ooze tentacles. It had no real head but was covered in eyes of varying types and it's large mouth had mandibles, a large extendable tongue, and metal and organic teeth.

"I must say that I enjoy being around Abomination, he's so hate and anger filled," Kakaski said with a smirk.

"Huh," Metal 7 said with disgust.

"You're still angry about not being able to finish off those two Heart holders aren't you?" Arc said.

"I would have too if Fenrir hadn't teleported us back here along with the others," Metal 7 said hotly.

"We'll have our chance to finish off those two and that stupid boob I was fighting. It's not like they're even that strong, I was using my weak attacks and almost killed him," Kakaski said.

"From what I understand, we won't get to fight until Fenrir's new pet and his new lieutenant get in some practice," Arc said.

"Figures," Metal 7 said.

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Every Heart holder and their major allies were now in the main hall of Candracar and they were discussing what to do next. Cornelia's right arm had almost been turned completely into stone and would have spread even further if it had not been for the alchemic genius of Coordinator. Reversing the part of her arm already turned to stone on the other had been going to take time and Coordinator had taken a small chip of stone off her arm to devise a cure. Elyon and Alchemy were shocked to learn of what had happened when they came out of the Chamber after completing the Illumination Ritual. Eventually before they left Meridian they realized Caleb had gone missing and Cornelia had not taken it well.

"So what do we do now that we have all the Heart holders we can get and the power of the Light Wolf on our side," Will asked the Oracle.

"We must search for the lair of Fenrir before he and his minions can make another move," the Oracle said," Also, for tonight I believe that Alchemy should stay on Meridian to absorb the light of it's full moon."

"I hate to be a downer on that point, but my parents will be a little worried when I don't come home," Alchemy said.

"That won't be a problem," Fionnaoch said looking her up and down and then creating an Astral Drop of her.

"Wow, this is so cool," Alchemy said looking at her copy.

"Isn't it though," Astral Drop Alchemy said.

"Now Guardian's and Regents you must take this Alchemy home while the true Alchemy is on Meridian and Earth Guardian," the Oracle said to Cornelia who looked up through her tears," You must rest, the Meridianites are searching for Caleb. I have faith they will find him."

"I hope you're right," Cornelia said with a sniffle.

With that everybody dispersed with the Regents, Guardians, and Astral Drop Alchemy going to Earth, the Meridianites and Alchemy going to Meridian, and everyone else staying in Candracar. Before Crone went to sleep she felt a faint glimmer of goodness she had not felt in centuries. Fionnaoch, who didn't need to sleep and was just sitting on the top of Candracar's tallest tower when he sensed something stirring back on Ulzbor that he couldn't quite put his finger on

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Swinely and Gorgana were waiting in the graveyard as they were instructed to by Fenrir. He had told them that they were needed there to help assist him in an experiment of his. They both thought that it was a bad idea, but their boss Echo had _insisted_ on it and when he insisted upon something, you did it without any questions unless you wanted to lose something.

"That was fun and filling, wouldn't you agree Gorgana?" Swinely asked the Medusa-like lady.

"Mm hmm. I enjoyed the look on the Earth Guardian's face after I bit her, that's for certain," Gorgana said with a smile on her lips.

"You two are the ones who hurt Cornelia," a voice said that made the pair jerk their heads around to look at the boy who Echo had taken from Meridian. He carried a large, black broadsword now, with a wolf's head pommel, and his eyes were pure black.

"Yeah, we're the ones who attacked your little girlfriend, what are you going to do about it?" Swinely asked smirking because he thought this would be an easy kill.

"Shall we take this little boy down porky?" Gorgana asked grinning.

"I've told you never to call me porky wench!" Swinely said with anger.

"Both of you shut up so I can kill you and take what I need," Caleb said raising his sword into the air with one hand and pointing it at them.

"Ha ha, this little boy has quite the mouth," Swinely said," Let's see how well he can talk after I break his jaw."

Swinely then charges at Caleb with one fist becoming a huge hammer made of mud that slams down onto Caleb. When Swinely lifted his hammer hand Caleb wasn't there. It was then that Swinely heard the Scream of Gorgana. He turned around just in time to see the black blade of Caleb's sword pierce through her chest from her back. Her body turned to dust as her life energy was drawn into the blade.

"That's impossible?! You're just human, you can't have gotten over there!" Swinely said with a tone of disbelief… and a slight hint of fear.

"I wouldn't say completely human anymore," Caleb said in his new monotone voice he had adopted.

"I'll crush you anyways!" Swinely said charging at Caleb with both fists turned into mud hammers. Caleb stood there unconcerned and swung his sword in the general direction of Swinely sending a blade of energy at Swinely. When it hit it threw Swinely back twenty yards and when the dust cleared, anyone who looked could see that he had turned to stone. Caleb walked up to Swinely and plunged his sword into Swinely's body and turned it to dust and absorbed Swinely's powers.

"Well done Caleb, you have avenged your love," Fenrir said coming out of a shadow," Now that you have your powers over stone and mud, we shall fit you for armor and let you loose on the enemy tomorrow."

"As you wish," Caleb said flatly.

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Collective was doing his share of training on Ulzbor. He was told by his master to search the wherever he chose to look for the magical items that were supposedly left by it's people before they dispersed all over the universe centuries ago because of the sad state of their world. The planet was now populated by carnivores and strange beasts that would make even the bravest quake in fear, but not the mighty Collective who was insane to boot and had a love of carnage.

He was distracted from his insane thoughts when he saw five beings all cloaked in grey robes. He then decided to fly down and see how long it would take to destroy them. When he was about to strike the middle one, they dispersed as he hit the ground and they surrounded him on all sides.

The one that was facing him threw off his cloak to reveal a slim yet tone body with grey skin and glowing yellow eyes. He wore orange robes similar to a Xiolin monk's and carried a bottle in one hand the he took a swig out of. This strange being was idly twirling a bowstaff in his other hand.

"Hello, my name is Zui Quan," the strange monk said slightly slurring his words," We are the Five Champions of Ulzbor. Who might you be?"

Collective materialized a lance out of nowhere and Zui Quan dodged with a fluid motion. Collective was amazed at this creature's speed and was suddenly very angry.

"You made a very bad choice," Zui Quan said cracking his knuckles.

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**Preview: Shagon, Dark Squall (don't worry DragonRaiderX9, he's a new character, kinda), and the Shadow Knight attack Heatherfield and initiate Alchemy's first battle.**


	20. Chapter 20

**Thanks to my four favorite and ever faithful reviewers, CCRox4Eva, DragonRaiderX9, XV-Dragon, and Guardian's Light. I'm not thanking my non-reviewing readers this time, I would but they're too good to review apparently. **

**KDH forever.**

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It was the third and final day of growth for Shagon and Fenrir was getting excited to see one of his most vile creations come into being and he was now meditating. Once that was done there would only be Fenrir, his lieutenants, his knight, and his minions. The loathed forces of good would finally fall before his might and then he would devour the power of the foolish Alchemist Guild and its annoying leader. Fenrir could not wait for that day to come.

"_Fenrir_," Echo said coming into the room," _I have some disturbing news. The five champions of Ulzbor have arisen_."

"How do you know this?" Fenrir asked calmly, almost too calmly.

"_A creation of the Guild was looking for the fabled magical items of Ulzbor and was attacked and it was apparently powerful enough to get away from them on its own_," Echo said telepathically.

"Well then, it would seem that the forces of good have gained some new allies," Fenrir said in the too calm tone," Once Shagon is ready it will just mean that we get to destroy that many more _heroes_."

"_I hope you are right_," Echo said," _But depending so much on one being, that seems unwise._"

"By the end of the day I will have myself, Shagon, Hurricana, Pyros, and Dark Squall," Fenrir said.

"_I see now_," Echo said as it dawned on him," _The legendary power of five_."

"Yes," Fenrir said happily," Not only that, but I can break the spirit of those filthy heroes and I will send those three to test their medal."

"_Any other tricks up your sleeve_?" Echo asked.

"I plan to give the boy the Mark of the Night Wolf in both eyes," Fenrir said slyly.

"_That's cruel and amusing_," Echo replied," _That could kill him you know_."

"True, but it could also make him stronger then imaginable," Fenrir said," I have a good feeling about my three new minions, they will help to bring me victory."

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"I am so happy that we're finally out of that dank old cave," an old, bent man in forest green robes with a long, white beard said. He carried a staff topped with the figure of an owl.

"As we all are Methuselah. I'm glad we can stretch our legs and run free," a woman with wild black hair and cat-like eyes in forest green robes said. She carried a staff topped with the figure of a deer's head.

"Indeed, to feel the sunshine again is most wondrous," another man in forest green robes with green hair and slightly green skin said. He carried a staff topped with a figure of a tree.

"I don't know about your sunshine Pine, or your running free Galatia, but I can't wait to start a good old fashioned storm and ride the winds," a man in the now familiar forest green robes with half of his head shaved and the other half in dread locks. He carried a staff topped with the figure of a monkey.

"Your as mad as ever Flack," Galatia said.

"And that's just the way I like it," Flack said with a goofy grin on his face.

"I still wonder my friends, who awoke us from our slumber?" Methuselah asked his friends," Golias appears to be fine to me, why then have we been awakened."

"Maybe somebody just wanted to see the Four Legendary Druids of Golias in person," Galatia said sourly," If that's the reason then whoever did it is going to get mauled."

"If that's so then why awake all of us?" Flack questioned," People would only want to awaken me, the fun loveable one."

"You're an idiot Flack," Pine said.

"You're still as prickly as ever Pine," Flack said and stuck his tongue out at Pine," You have to lighten up and while you're at –"

Flack was interrupted as a fold opened in front of them. After a moment, Crone stepped through and looked shocked to see Druids awoken. She could never find where they were asleep, they were even before her time, and now they were standing in front of her.

"I cannot believe my eyes," Crone said with shock," You are the Four Legendary Druids."

"That we are Keeper of the Heart," Methuselah said," We bid you greetings and ask why we have been awakened."

"I believe that we should go to Candracar," Crone said motioning for them to follow her back through the fold.

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"So let me get this straight," Fionnaoch said looking at the Five Champions of Ulzbor on Ulzbor," You're all undead, you have no idea who awakened you, and you want to help me."

"Yes," Zui Quan said in his slur. The others shared his undead trait but that is where it ended.

The next Champion was the legendary Morgan who was said to be a great swordsman. Morgan dressed in red clothing reminiscent of a pirate and carried a very ornate cutlass with a green blade. Then there was Lady Draquina who ate the heart of a dragon and gained its power and supposedly had learned the ways of the ninja. She wore tight fitting grey clothes, Roman style sandals, and she had a scaly tail and large draconic wings.

Next was Grendel the Berserker who was as strong as a herd of oxen and a master of battle. He wore leather armor and carried only a small buckler and a huge enchanted battle axe. Finally, there was Ghor who was a deadly warrior and an excellent strategist who loved the carnage of battle. He dressed like a gladiator with one of those strange gladiator helmets and he carried a trident, a net, and a shortsword.

"So you're going to help me now?" Fionnaoch said still in disbelief. The Five had been his heroes since he was a young boy and now he was actually getting to meet them, he couldn't believe it.

"We have to lad," Morgan said in his gruff voice," You hold the Heart of Ulzbor and we are bound to it. This is the third time we've told you this, have you got it this time?"

"Yes, I'm sorry though, it's just that this is amazing," Fionnaoch said," I believe that we should go back to Candracar now. That old hag Crone is never going to believe this."

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"You three are going to do something great today," Fenrir said to his three minions," Are you ready to destroy the Regent, Shagon?"

"I am more than ready master. I will take his body and destroy his mind for what he did to me," Shagon said. He now held power over Shadow Tainted Earth and looked as he always had, except for his Kor like legs and arms made of fire and ice, reminiscent of Ember and Tridart.

"What of you Dark Squall?" Fenrir asked.

"We will crush them like insects," Dark Squall said. He was the hybrid of Aquos and Snout, and basically looked like a centaur of the two except for the horn sticking out of his forehead and his gaunt face looking more feral.

"What of you Shadow Knight?" Fenrir asked.

"I will destroy the Light Wolf so darkness shall prevail," Caleb said. His eyes were no longer pure black but were now the white and the deep, dark pupils shaped like a wolf's head. Caleb now wore full plate armor, except for a helmet, with the pauldrons (shoulder armor) shaped like feral looking wolf's heads and the insignia of the black wolf's head all over the armor. His only weapon was that horrible black sword.

"Good. You know your missions but I will reiterate," Fenrir said pacing in front of them," Your targets, first and foremost are the Light Wolf and Regent leader. Next is the Queen of Meridian and after her you can have your fun."

"As you say, so shall it be," Shagon said with a bow.

"I will see them destroyed," Caleb said with a bow.

"We will crush them," Dark Squall said with a bow.

"Go, now and make me proud my minions," Fenrir said as they teleported to Earth.

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"Wow, you're just like the real Alchemy," Hay Lin mused as they were driving to the cave they always practiced at to meet Elyon and Alchemy after the day at school. They had also picked up Cornelia, who had stayed at home that day because of her stone arm. They were going to the training grounds to see what Alchemy could do in a more familiar setting.

"Thanks. Everyone thought I was the real Alchemy and it was easy to pull off," Astral Drop Alchemy said with a smile. Cornelia was in the back not talking to even fight with Irma and looking sadly out the window.

"Don't worry Cornelia," Taranee said comforting her friend in the back of the car," I'm sure that Coordinator found a cure and the Meridianites found Caleb."

"I hope you're right Taranee," Cornelia said sadly.

"Don't worry Cornelia, I'm sure she's right," Irma said uncharacteristically kind to Cornelia.

"Yeah, Caleb should be fine and everything is going to be okay," Hay Lin added.

"It'll be okay Cornelia," Will said while driving her now repaired car.

"Thanks you guys," Cornelia said with a sad smile," It's good to hear you say that."

They spent the rest of the time on the way to the cave talking about school stuff and what they were going to do abut the bad guys when they were found. Matt was driving there in his car too, but he had to pick up Mr. Huggles first and was really only coming as a precaution in case of enemy attack. They finally arrived at their destination and Matt arrived soon after and together they walked up the path to the training grounds and waited for their friends. Soon enough, Alchemy and Elyon folded to them. Cornelia and Elyon immediately started talking over Caleb and news from Coordinator.

"Hey Astral Drop me," Alchemy said," How did everything go?"

"Hey," Astral Drop Alchemy greeted back," It went well, everyone thought I was you."

"Great, so what do we do with you now?" Alchemy asked her double. Astral Drop Alchemy touched Alchemy's hand and with a flash of light went into Alchemy.

"This is so freaky," Alchemy said," I know everything she did like it was me. Magic rocks."

"Oh yeah," Will said and then continued," Alchemy we need to see what you can do so would you mind transforming."

"Sure, but this is the first time I'll transform so I hope it looks cool," Alchemy said and then yelled," Illuminate!"

A flash of bright light surrounded her and caused the others to look away because of its intensity. When it was finally over, Alchemy was standing their in her transformed form. Like the Guardians, she looked more mature and taller and even had on long braided ponytail, but she wore full plate armor partially covered by a white cloth mantle with the symbol of the Light Wolf on it. Her armor was silver and decorated with the Light Wolf Sigil and on one shoulder was a wolf head pauldron and the other was merely rounded with the Light Wolf Sigil on it. The only weapon she carried was a long sword that looked like it was made of silver with the handle wrapped in white leather and a wolf's head pommel.

"This is so cool," Alchemy said looking herself over.

"I don't like it myself," Shagon said appearing apart from them near the front of the cave," But, if all goes as planned I'll never have to see you again."

"No way, you were destroyed!" Matt yelled already turning into his Regent form.

"Guardian's Unite!" Will yelled as the Guardian's transformed.

"No, I was banished to the farthest recesses of your mind," Shagon said angrily," Now I can feed off of all negative emotions and have the power over Darkness Tainted Earth and a hunger for revenge."

"That won't help you here," Will said," We have you outnumbered and outclassed."

"How could I forget? Meet my two friends, Dark Squall and your old friend, Caleb the Shadow Knight," as Shagon said this, they both appeared out of nowhere.

"Caleb?!" Cornelia yelled out to her boyfriend.

"I am no longer Caleb, I am Shadow Knight," Caleb said as his gaze focused on Alchemy," I have come to destroy the Light Wolf."

"And Dark Squall gets to destroy the Queen, and I get to destroy you Matt," Shagon said with a cheerful tone," The best part is that no one can come to help you thanks to our master and the Guild so it's just you and us."

"I wouldn't be so sure mask-boy," Zui Quan said. He and the rest of the Five and the Four Druids were there.

"Fear not, we have come to help my young friends," Methuselah said with a smile on his ancient face and then he turned to Shagon," While it's true that no more help can come to us, neither can any come to you whether it be your superiors or your Shadow Tainted armies."

"It would seem that we are going to have to destroy you too," Shagon said readying himself for battle.

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**Preview: Sorry couldn't fit the battle in this chapter the way I wanted it but next time.**


	21. Chapter 21

**Thanks to all of my great reviewers, DragonRaiderX9, XV-Dragon, CCRox4Eva (hope you enjoy this chapter), and Guardian's Light. To people who read and haven't even reviewed once, I fart in your general direction.**

**As always, I do not own W.I.T.C.H., Rimmer Dall from the Shannara book series, Oak, and/or Kim Kakaski (thanks again to Guardian's Light for letting me borrow his characters). kdh **

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"This time you're going down Shagon," Matt said with a growl.

"No my boy," Methuselah said putting a hand on the now much taller Matt's shoulder," He feeds off of negative emotions and I sense your hatred for him. We and the Champions of Ulzbor shall deal with him. You and the Guardians deal with the creature and let your warrior, the queen, and the Earth Guardian deal with this Shadow Knight fellow. If that's all right with everybody?"

"Okay with me I guess," Matt said looking down at the old man.

"Works for us I guess," Will said.

"I think not!" Shagon said interrupting them," I will destroy you boy and then I'll move on to your little girlfriend Will."

"Not wait a moment, golden mask fellow," Zui Quan said while walking haphazardly towards Shagon," You are going to fight the nine of us first."

"Is that so?" Shagon said readying an attack to kill the drunken undead man.

"Yes it is," Zui Quan said matter-of-factly. Shagon fired an ice blast from his Tridart arm, a fire blast from his Ember arm, and his own green eye blast at the undead monk who dodged it. As he dodged it, he fell backwards and rolled as if he was just drunk but it seemed more skill was involved too. Shagon was startled that his attack was dodged so skillfully.

"If that's the best you got," Zui Quan said as he took a swig from his bottle," Then this will be quick."

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The four Guardians and the two Regents were facing down Dark Squall. They had him surrounded but he kept them at bay by swinging his green glowing ball and chain over his head and carrying a hammer in the other hand.

"I will crush you, you little pests!" Dark Squall yells as he creates a huge swirling vortex of water around himself and firing water blasts at his enemies without. They were pretty erratic but easily blocked by everyone but Mr. Huggles, who didn't have a magical attack and had to block it with his punches. Eventually Dark Squall stopped and went out onto the water.

"Now you shall see why I am called Dark Squall!" as he said that, the water started to churn and fly upwards into a whirling water spouts that he sent at our heroes who weren't doing well against them.

"Everyone, cover me I have a plan!" Will yelled and flew at Dark Squall. He sent his water attacks at her, but he kept getting blocked by Irma and Hay Lin while Taranee and Matt kept firing at Dark Squall. While Dark Squall was stronger than his opponents, he was just brute force and couldn't concentrate on getting through the blocks and fending off the attacks of his opponents flying around him. Then they started taunting him.

"Hey horn head, your mama was a toad and your daddy was a Passling!" Irma yelled.

"Come on, this is pathetic!" Matt yelled firing an eye blast.

"Be quiet you cursed brats!" Dark Squall said.

"Why don't you!" Will said as she hit him with every single volt of quintessence she had causing him quite a bit of pain seeing as how he was a giant lightening rod. Will flew as far away as possible because she was both drained and to get out of the way of the attacks of the others. Dark Squall a first floated on the top of the water and eventually sank like a stone.

"That went pretty well, don't you think?" Hay Lin said as the group flew up (except for Mr. Huggles who stayed on shore) to the spot where Dark Squall had sunk.

"Guys, what's going on over there?!" Taranee asked looking at a dome of utter darkness.

"That's where the others were fighting Caleb," Will said.

"Since our soggy friend is sunk, let's go help," Irma said as they flew back to shore.

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"For a being with the power of two Hearts and negative emotion power," Ghor said while tangling Shagon's wings in his net," You're not much of a challenge."

"I'll show you how much of a challenge I can be gladiator boy," Shagon said causing the earth to quake and stone spikes to erupt from the ground. All of our heroes were surrounded by vines and drawn into the ground.

"Wow, I didn't even mean to do that," Shagon said amazed and rather smug with himself.

"You did not do that," the green skinned druid Pine said rising up from the ground," I did and you are now in for a world of hurt."

"What!?" Shagon said about to blast him when a fire ball from Lady Draquina hit his ice arm and he was hit from behind by Grendel with his great mace.

"You fools, I am Shagon!" Shagon said," I am not only powered by negative emotions anymore, I have the power of darkness!"

Shagon then sunk into the ground and as our nine heroes attempted to follow him a huge earth look-alike of Shagon rose up and with its two glowing green eyes and huge rock fists, attacked.

"I say old boy," Zui Quan yelled at Shagon," You may be strong, but you're too slow!"

Immediately, stone hands rose up to grab any of the nine and some succeeded but were thrown off and destroyed, but two more took each of their places. Things were starting to look bad and they knew that they had to finish this fight soon or else they were all doomed. It was then that Morgan of Ulzbor, the pirate swordsman, jumped with amazing force, drew his sword, and cut off the head of the giant earth Shagon. All of the earthen hands and the rest of the body crumbled as the head fell to reveal Shagon on the inside.

"You insects!" Shagon yelled struggling to get up," I will destroy you all!"

"Think again," Zui Quan said running up to him looking rather unsteady and making a beeline and skillfully avoiding Shagon's eye beams and with a mighty kick, broke Shagon's mask. When his mask fell away, it revealed a deep, darkness with two glowing green eyes.

"You dare remove _my_ mask!" Shagon said, knocking away Zui Quan with his darkness," I will-,"

Shagon never got to finish as the lady druid Galatia struck with a mighty, animalistic kick to the back of Shagon's head. Shagon fell down with a groan and was out like a light.

"Well done ole' gal," Zui Quan said with a drunken smile.

"There's trouble with their fight," Methuselah said directing their attention to the dome of darkness," Now that he's down, we best go help them!"

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Alchemy, Elyon, and Cornelia were facing down the Shadow Knight, their former friend Caleb. Cornelia attempted to talk to Caleb as Alchemy and Elyon prepared for battle.

"Caleb what are you doing!?" Cornelia asked," Stop it please."

"Get out of my way," Caleb said monotonously as he knocked her away with a wave of mud. He then just disappeared, causing Elyon and Alchemy looked at where Caleb had just been.

"Cornelia, are you-," Elyon said as she was running to help Cornelia and was stopped by Caleb who hit her with a beam of energy that turned her to stone. As Caleb went in for the final strike, he was knocked away by a blast of light from Alchemy's sword.

"Caleb, you may be a friend, but don't think I won't kill you if I have too!" Alchemy said uncharacteristically serious with glowing white eyes.

"I will destroy you, Light Wolf," Caleb said jumping up from the ground in his full armor.

"We shall see," Alchemy said as the two circled each other. During all this time Cornelia was just laying there stuck in her prison of mud. She couldn't believe that Caleb just did that, she knew there was something wrong with him but she had no idea how to help him. Even with the darkness in the earth and her stone arm, Cornelia broke out of her stone prison just in time to see Alchemy fend off Caleb matching him sword to sword.

"You have the advantage now Light Wolf, but not for long," Caleb said as he took a small, black orb out of his pocket and crushed it in his hand, creating a dome of dark energy around the Caleb, Alchemy, Elyon, and Cornelia. The interior wasn't purely darkness, but more of a deep twilight.

"What is this place?" Alchemy asked squaring up and readying her sword.

"This is a dark area," Caleb said with the shadows gathering around him," It is a simple spell given to me by master Fenrir, but an effective one. It grants power to those of the darkness, weakens those of the light, and cannot be broken through from the outside or inside for five minutes."

"Caleb, stop this!" Alchemy said to him but was only attacked in return. They clashed sword to sword but now Alchemy was losing without the light to empower her and the battle lasted about four minutes easily. Caleb was finally able to knock her away with a powerful blast of dark energy and blasted her sword out of reach with another blast of darkness and finally hit her with one of his energy blades, turning her to stone. Caleb lifted his blade, charged at Alchemy's stone body, and was stopped as Cornelia stepped in front of him with his sword just an inch away from plunging into her chest.

"Caleb you have to stop this, it isn't you," Cornelia said through the tears," Elyon was your friend and you turned her into stone; this just isn't you, any of it. Please stop."

In a moment, Caleb's eyes flickered from the evil eyes back to his brown eyes. He looked at Cornelia with a mix of concern and confusion. Then he looked down at Cornelia's stone arm.

"Cornelia, your arm," Caleb said as he touched the blade of his sword to her arm as Cornelia looked on through her tears. Faintly at first and then glowing brighter green, Cornelia's arm was being cured of its stone affliction. The energy from her arm was being drawn into the blade and when it was done, Cornelia's arm was back to normal flesh and bone.

"Caleb?" Cornelia asked hopefully looking into his eyes. He looked into her eyes and then took a step back and closed his eyes. Cornelia took a step toward him, but stopped as he opened his eyes to reveal that his eyes had reverted back to the dark wolf's head pupils.

"Move aside Earth Guardian, I have no quarrel with you," Caleb said once again the Shadow Knight.

"Caleb, stop this now," Cornelia said looking into his eyes with her voice half pleading and half anger.

"I can move you aside," the Shadow Knight said threateningly as he slowly started stepping backwards.

"Caleb," Cornelia said looking into his dark eyes," I care about you and this hurts me to do this, but I will fight you to save you and my friends."

"Move aside."

"No Caleb!"

"I am no longer Caleb, I am the Shadow Knight. Now move aside," he said holding up his sword preparing for battle as he stopped walking backwards, now three yards away from her.

"Caleb I will not let you hurt her," Cornelia said preparing to defend herself.

"So be it," Caleb said as he sheathed his sword slowly and then with a burst of speed and attempted to punch her in the gut with his gauntleted fist. He never made it as his feet were ensnared by vines and as he fell the rest of his body was held down by vines.

"Snap out of it Caleb!" Cornelia yelled down at him. He then turned into mud and just moved around the vines and knocked her back with a powerful punch, putting her out cold. He then turned around and he had to remove his sword from the vines because it couldn't turn to mud with him. He then lifted his sword into the air and prepared to stab into the stone body of Alchemy, but stopped as his shadow dome was shattered.

"No Caleb!" Will yelled as she knocked him away with a blast of quintessence. Caleb suddenly disappeared, with what appeared to be the dark teleportation and as they looked around Shagon had also disappeared and they safely assumed that Dark Squall had as well. It was then that the others appeared through folds to help our heroes that were unconscious or turned to stone.

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"I can't believe they failed!" Fenrir yelled angrily in his chamber after his two lieutenants and his knight had been returned defeated," They are supposed to be unstoppable!"

"_Well, in the defense of Shagon, he was outnumbered by the Druids and Champions and neither group is weak by any standards_," Echo said telepathically.

"Dark Squall is an idiot though and Shadow Knight is held back by the good within him," Fenrir said still broody.

"_Is Shagon completely bonded to his element_?" Echo asked.

"No, why do you ask?"

"_Well_," Echo said picking up a cup full of some green liquid," _You could kill two birds with one stone so to speak. Give the power of Dark Earth to Shadow Knight so he will lose more of his humanity and destroy Dark Squall and give his powers to Shagon_."

"An interesting notion," Fenrir mused," Give the boy more power to more easily control him, get rid of the dead weight, and transfer said dead weights power to one who can use it properly. I like it."

"Shall we begin preparations?" Echo asked.

"Yes. The sooner the better," Fenrir said," Mutten! Bring in the three idiots, Shadow Knight, and Shagon immediately!"

"Yes… Master," the little man said as he ran from the room.

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Nicholas Flamel had not been so tired in a long time. He had destroyed the green orb in the process of summoning the most powerful evil from multiple reality's, but he now had an army of summoned being to do his bidding along with his own minions and his three previously summoned minions, Kim Kakaski, Oak, and Rimmer Dall. This group had the power of more Hearts than Flamel had ever imagined and he could now rule the universe and destroy that fool Fenrir in time after he was finished destroying those heroes.

The villains from the universes he had chosen were alternate realities to his own. He had summoned the five Guardians, Queen Elyon, and Caleb, each one from a different dimension, where they had been corrupted and taken over their own realities. Next he had summoned Nerissa and her Guardian thralls trapped in their elemental forms from the reality where she had succeeded, Phobos from the reality where he had succeeded, and Cedric from the reality where he had succeeded. He had also summoned three other beings that were truly bizarre; a Mogriff Queen who had taken over her reality and infested it with Mogriffs, a cosmically powerful Annihilator who had destroyed everything in its reality, a large Morphan the size of a house that was mysteriously intelligent and held great mystical power, and the humanoid embodiment of the Horn of Hypnos.

"With your collective power I shall rule all that is my minions," he said to the group of assorted summoned creatures," Soon enough when my enemies are weakened we will attack and destroy them in on swift strike."

"Yes master," those that could speak said in a collective monotone voice. These summoned beings had less personality than his previous three summoned beings, but they still had enough to function on their own.

"My lord?" Metal 7 said walking into the room with Kim Kakaski, Oak, Arc, and Collective.

"Yes Metal 7?" Flamel asked his right hand man.

"All is going as planned, but it would appear that Fenrir is up to something," Metal 7 said in his hollow, mechanical voice.

"I see," Flamel said partially to himself," Arc, keep an eye on Fenrir. Metal 7 and Ms. Kakaski, train with Abomination. The rest of you come with me."

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"The Alchemists Guild is gaining more powerful members from the alternate realities and now their war power is almost beyond comparison," a large armored man with a deep voice said. He wore black iron armor with a horned helmet that covered every part of his body except for his glowing red eyes. He also carried several nasty looking medieval weapons on his person.

"Yezzz, they are ever more powerfulzzzzz," said a man made of vermin and insects.

"Ah," an unhealthily skinny and pale humanoid creature said with a vacant look in its glowing green eyes groaned.

"Well do you three have any ideas? You War, or maybe you Pestilence, or maybe even you Famine!?" asked a figure with a cold, booming voice. He was hunched over, dressed in black robes that concealed his figure, and had one boney arm thrust out of his robes to hold his wicked looking scythe.

"Well Death, I say we send in Flicker or Charnelshroud," War said," Echo has already infiltrated Fenrir's group. Why not do the same with the Alchemist Guild?"

"For once you make a good point," Death mused," But I believe that we should ask Ori Oni to be sure."

"I agreezzzz," Pestilence said.

"Ah ha aa," Famine groaned.

"Then so shall it be," War said lastly.

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**Preview: I got nothin'. It might take me awhile to get the next chapter out or not, who knows.**


	22. Chapter 22

**Thanks to my four awesome reviewers, DragonRaiderX9, XV-Dragon, CCRox4Eva, and Guardian's Light. Thanks to all of my readers too and I just ask for the bare minimum of one review per reader but more are welcome.**

**kdh**

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After everyone had gotten back to Candracar, Elyon and Alchemy were quickly returned to normal with the cure made by Coordinator. Cornelia had quickly regained consciousness upon her arrival to Candracar and was silent with a mix of sadness and anger on her face even when her friends tried to comfort her. They also bought in their allies including regular gang from Meridian and Eric while Napoleon had elected to stay on Earth to protect Lillian. The Oracle then finally decided to give explanations.

"I suppose that I should give the Guardians and the Regents explanations of who our guests are," the Oracle started," These are the five Champions of Ulzbor and the four Legendary Druids of Golias awakened by an unknown force and come to help us."

"Awakened?" Taranee asked.

"Yes," the Oracle said," Though in different ways. The four Druids were sleeping in the Cavern of the Druids until they were needed while the Champions had died and become the undead when Ulzbor would need them."

"How do we save Caleb?" Cornelia asked suddenly.

"I do not know Earth Guardian," the Oracle said," But I believe that he has a natural hold over the darkness and that Fenrir corrupted his darkness to evil."

"What do you mean?" Cornelia asked confused and upset.

"There is an ancient legend that predates the Wolf Wars to the time of the creation of the Heart of Candracar," the Oracle said," It says that the Shadow Heart has it's own true Guardians and they will face the evil of the Shadow Heart and eventually, with the light of the Heart of Candracar, overcome the Shadow Heart's evil, but only have the power of one Heart. I believe now that Caleb is one of these Guardians of the Shadow Heart, your male counterparts."

"So Caleb needs our help to overcome the evil of the Shadow Heart?" Cornelia asks.

"Yes-," the Oracle said interrupted by Hay Lin.

"Wait so who are the other Guardians?" she asks.

"That is a good question, but one that I cannot answer," the Oracle said," Now moving onto the armies of the world's we must start with…"

Cornelia just sat there and didn't pay much attention to what was being said as she thought about Caleb. The other four Guardians were only paying half attention because of concern for their friend. Blunk wasn't paying any attention because he had a brain the size and thinking capacity of a tatter tot. Everyone else wasn't having as nearly tough a time as those five.

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Nicholas Flamel was extremely pissed off at his summoned servants because they just weren't getting it. He wanted them to help him with their collective mystical power but all they could apparently do at the moment was destroy anything they came into contact with. In his brilliantly evil mind, the Head Chemist was thinking up a way to make use of their power to help him to do something other than destroy when a skeleton appeared out of nowhere.

This skeletal creature was about six and a half feet tall and had long, thin bones charred black. In its chest cavity was a disturbing blue flame that its eyes also shared and the flames seemed to flicker disturbingly and cast strange shadows. This strange undead creature made even the powerful Nicholas Flamel uneasy to say the least.

"Who are you to dare come onto my territory!?" Flamel said with his gaseous body broiling in rage.

"Flicker," it said in an eerily breathy voice.

"Well _Flicker_, why are you here?!" Flamel said as his servants surrounded the fiery skeleton.

"Help," Flicker said.

"What do you mean?" Flamel asked suspiciously.

"Want to destroy. You destroy. Help you destroy," Flicker said.

"I see," Flamel said looking at Flicker through his crimson eyes," Why should I trust you when you just appeared from nowhere onto my training grounds protected by powerful spells?"

"Sensed destruction, very good at sensing it and follow those of destruction," Flicker said.

"Are you the same Flicker that followed General Warpwood of Zamballa, fought in the legendary Tri-War of Imtal, and lead one of the dark factions on Ulzbor?" Flamel said as the skeletal creature's name dawned on him.

"Yes, follow evil and power," Flicker said happily remembering all of the pain and suffering he had helped cause," Not to mention Wolf Wars, World War 1 and 2, Phobos takeover, and others. All fun."

"An evil creature such as you is more than welcome to join us," Flamel said happily and looking at Flicker," Besides, I can't deny that you've been drawn to a source of power, evil, and destruction."

"What destroy now?" Flicker asked hopefully.

"Nothing at the moment," Flamel said," But soon enough…we will destroy everything that gets in my way."

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"It would appear that the transfer was a success," Fenrir said in his chambers after transferring the dark earth power to Caleb and destroying Dark Squall and giving his power and dark water to Shagon.

"_Yes it would_," Echo said," _I must go now, to feed_."

"Yes, good," Fenrir said distractedly as Echo left the room.

Fenrir took his usual spot on the floor in his meditation position to see what else was happening in the universe. He was tapping into the dark quintessence within him and was attempting to astro project to look more closely at Candracar.

"_You know this wont work on the Shadow Knight because of his love for the girl_," a voice that sounded similar but more malicious than Fenrir's voice said in his head.

"_I know Fenrir, but part of my plan is to use that to my advantage_," Fenrir said to the original Fenrir in his mind.

"_What do you mean you sly young monster_?" original Fenrir asked slyly.

"_I mean I plan to capture the girl and turn her to our cause and then we have both of them and get to break the Guardians as well_," Fenrir thought happily," _We will control both the Shadow Knight and his love and hurt the spirit of our enemies_."

"_As brilliant as that plan is, their love for each other will weaken our control over them even if we do turn them to evil_," original Fenrir thought back.

"_Not if we twist it to become as dark as we are_," Fenrir thought.

"_That will not work if their love is true and strong_," original Fenrir thought grimly.

"_That is true, but that would take love of great proportions and these two children alone couldn't have that much love within them_," Fenrir thought smugly.

"_We shall see_," original Fenrir thought and then changed the subject," _What are you looking for anyway_?"

"_Nothing in particular aged one_," Fenrir thought," _Just was making sure that everything is going according to plan_."

"_Nothing ever goes according to plan_," original Fenrir thought and was silent.

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Echo thought to himself of what a fool the so called Night Wolf was and how easy it was to join his forces. The Order of Destruction had sent him here to weaken and stop Fenrir if he could and now he had the perfect opportunity to throw a figurative wrench into Fenrir's plans. The bat man was walking through the dank, dark halls of the castle that served as Fenrir's lair to get to the graveyard at the front of the castle. When he finally got to the main gate he walked out to see the Shadow Knight training with his new dark earth powers.

Caleb, or the Shadow Knight at that moment, still wore his dark, wolf themed armor and still had his wolf pupil eyes, but he now looked different. In his training he had also been allowed to destroy the Echo's two useless henchmen, the troll-like Groll and the tattooed Glass Eyes. Caleb was now covered in the red and black tribal tattoos and carried a necklace, with two glass eyes on it, and he looked taller and stockier too.

"_Greetings Shadow Knight_," Echo said to Caleb telepathically.

"Greetings Lord Echo," Caleb said stopping his exercise and saluting with his sword and slightly inclining his head.

"_I have come on request of Lord Fenrir to assist you in your training to become more powerful and unlock your potential_," Echo said walking up to Caleb.

"Yes, power is good," Caleb said in his monotone voice.

"_I just need you to open your mind to me and allow me to help you_," Echo said. The bat creature then went into a trance like state, Caleb did as well, and Echo started his sabotage. While he didn't want to directly break the Wolf Sigil's power, he needed a way to weaken it. He brought out Caleb's good memories of his friends and family and the good times he had with them and others.

That's when he saw it deep within Caleb's subconscious. There in the center of his mind was what appeared to be an old fashioned looking key. The metal of the key was unlike any normal metal because of its blood red color and was topped with a small orb that was as dark as midnight. Echo couldn't believe his eyes, he had to have it and he reached for it with his mind and…

"What are you doing bat?" three angry voices hissed awakening Echo and Caleb from their trances. Echo looked over to see he had been interrupted by Pyros the asura wannabe only lacking the last pair of arms. Of all of Fenrir's minions, Echo despised the three faced lizard man the most.

"_I was helping the boy to train his mind, it is my specialty after all_," Echo said telepathically in a business tone.

"I'm sssso ssssure," Pyros main face, snake Cedric, said getting really close to Echo.

"Calm down hot head," Caleb said in his droning voice," We were training, so don't get your scales in a bunch or else I'll deal with you myself."

"I can burn you to a crisp boy," Pyros said readying fireballs with his four smaller human arms and flame swords in his two large snake Cedric arms.

"_Both of you calm down_," Echo said getting annoyed at their bickering," _We don't need infighting, it would be a waste of our time and energy, so stop it now_."

"You're lucky you're Fenrir's little pet, bat," Pyros said as he walked away.

"I must get back to training," Caleb droned," So if there is nothing more…"

"_Of course, I have other matters to attend to anyway_," Echo said as he stalked off back into the castle. Echo was very pissed off at being interrupted, but knew there would always be another chance.

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"It would seem that Echo is doing well and Flicker has already infiltrated the Guild," Death said to the group of the six elders of the Order of Destruction, seated around a large circular table with thirteen chairs in a dark room. The elders of the Order were Death, War, Famine, Pestilence, Ori Oni, and Charnelshroud. Charnelshroud appeared to be nothing more than a black cloak that was slightly transparent.

"It would seem that the clash will come soon, wouldn't you agree Ori Oni?" War asked the Demon.

"The cards say it will, but I don not know when," Ori Oni said and then gasped in shock," It would appear that Echo has found something very important."

"One of the Keyzzzz?" Pestilence asked his voice filled with hope and greed.

"I do not know, the power of the Tarot is never specific," Ori Oni said to the other five.

"Still it would be too soon," War said," We do not have the necessary thirteen yet."

"Thank you so much for the reminder War," Death said sarcastically," The rest of us had forgotten already. Whatever would we do without your brilliant mind to guide us."

"Watch what you say you bag of bones," War said taking up a wicked mace strapped to his back.

"Stop it you two," Ori Oni said firmly," Sometimes I don't know which one of you is worse."

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**Sorry it took me so long to update (for me anyway), I just didn't have a plan for this chapter. Preview: kidnapped Cornelia and showdown between Kim Kakaski and Fionnaoch. Don't worry GL, I have a plan.**


	23. Chapter 23

**As always I would like to say thanks to my reviewers: CCRox4Eva, XV-Dragon, Guardian's Light, and DragonRaiderX9. Thanks to all my readers too and I hope you give me a least one review.**

**Kdh. I do not own W.I.T.C.H., Daleks, Rimmer Dall, Kim Kakaski, or Oak.**

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Cornelia was walking home by herself even though her friends had offered to take her home. She just needed to be alone for a while to think about everything. She now knew that Caleb could be saved but she still didn't know if he would be. It was while she was contemplating this that a familiar voice yelled to her.

"Cornelia, wait up!" Matt yelled running up to Cornelia with Mr. H. riding on his shoulder.

"What's wrong?" Cornelia asked thinking that something had happened.

"Nothing is wrong Cornelia, I just had to talk to you," Matt said with a smile and took a step closer to her.

"About whatever," he said taking another step closer.

"Matt, no offense, but I just want to walk home alone," Cornelia said feeling uncomfortable with the situation.

"Come on," Matt said flirtatiously," I can see that you miss Caleb and a beautiful girl like yourself should have someone to be with you and I should be that someone."

"Matt!" Cornelia said in shock and disgust," I care about Caleb and you're going out with Will! What in the hell is wrong with you, you jerk!"

"Ouch, that hurt Cornelia," Matt said with his voice becoming deeper and metallic like Shagon's," A beautiful creature such as you shouldn't say such things. It's such a shame you're to be Caleb's thrall, I always thought you were the prettiest Guardian."

"Who are you?!" Cornelia asked readying her earth powers," Talk!"

"What, you haven't realized it yet?" he asked in amusement as Mr. Huggles jumped off of his shoulder and Matt transformed into Shagon with his fire and ice arms and Kor legs. He now had a new mask that looked like a hideous, demonic wolf with his glowing green eyes.

"Back off!" Cornelia said flinging a chunk of earth at him which he blasted easily and sent her flying backwards. With a huge tentacle of water he grabbed her before she could react and pulled her into his chest which was now much like the Tracker's.

"Mutten," Shagon said looking over at the little dormouse on the ground," You know what you must do now."

"Yes…I must… inform… them," Mutten said as he transformed into his human form.

"Good," Shagon said as he teleported away.

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It was night now on Candracar and Fionnaoch was sitting on the top of the highest tower looking at the moon thinking about the gifts he had gotten from the five Champions. He had been given the three greatest magical items other than the Scythe that could help him; the Seal of Ulzbor (a magical medallion), the Signet of Ulzbor (a magical ring), and the Hand of Ulzbor (a magical gauntlet). Each treasure was the same dead black color of his Scythe but they were each marked with a humanoid skull biting down on a lightening bolt.

His thoughts turned to the woman he had fought on Jaxel. She was beautiful in the eyes of Fionnaoch but he just wished that her clothing wasn't as gaudy or she was a bit more… warm. Fionnaoch had always liked a challenge though and evil women were always the most fun to date. While he was imprisoned on Ulzbor he had hated not being able to sleep do to the side effect of the fountain, but now he enjoyed it because he could do something other than count the bricks in the wall.

It was sudden, in the middle of the night when all those who could sleep in Candracar were fast asleep. It was a tug of power on Ulzbor, the one that had almost killed him and he would like to try and convince her to go out with him. So, for laughs he opened a fold directly to Ulzbor to see the beautiful Ms. Kakaski and convince her if it killed him. Just in case though, he had left a letter addressed to the young Altermere in case something unfortunate were to happen to him and the Champions knew to give it to her.

Upon arriving on Ulzbor, Fionnaoch took a deep breathe of air and smiled at the shapeless gray landscape. He then looked around and searched with his magic for the now elusive Kakaski hoping to find her. It wasn't hard, she wasn't hiding her magic, and he walked over the next hill to see her.

"Ah, Ms. Kakaski, I can tell you wanted to see me again," he said with a smile.

"I new you would come," Kim said with her serious tone," We started a battle which we did not get to finish and I don't like to leave weaklings alive."

"Weakling? That's not fair," Fionnaoch said with a hurt tone," I wasn't exactly prepared and I didn't know the terrain."

"Even so, I was using my weak attacks, just minor powers that I could easily manifest," Kakaski said," I wasn't even using anything near my truly powerful attacks."

"Now that I think about it," Fionnaoch mused happily," I sense a familiar aura around you, something akin to the Aurameres, but that would be impossible."

"That is completely off topic," Kakaski said a little irritated," But true none the less, I am the Aurameres."

"Explain to me how that is possible when the Aurameres currently reside in Candracar, if you would be so kind," Fionnaoch said trying to lure her into telling him.

"Since I am going to kill you anyway, it doesn't matter," Kakaski said with disdain," I was summoned by Lord Flamel from an alternate reality that is similar to this one and in my own I was created to stop heroes even greater than Heart holders, so you should be no problem."

"Don't count me out just yet," Fionnaoch said slyly," You're on my turf."

"I will enjoy this insect," Kim said as two large, four colored wings (red, blue, green, and white) wings sprung from her back and she flew into the air.

"Well, I can honestly say that I didn't see that one coming," Fionnaoch said in semi-disbelief. Kim Kakaski took a bow from out of nowhere and she notched an arrow as five orbs (that looked strangely like the five Aurameres) flew in front of her arrow and formed thin beams of energy into a five pointed star that starts to glow brightly. This happens in about four seconds as she fires her deadly weapon at our hero and with a great explosion of magic, the projectile cuts deep into the earth and causes a deadly shockwave equivalent of five nuclear bombs. She then flies down with a rare smile playing on her lips.

"You didn't think that it would be that easy did you?" Fionnaoch said as Kim Kakaski turned around in shock to seem him step out of what looked like a green fold.

"What… How?!" Kakaski asked in shock and disbelief.

"It's called a Pocket Fold my dear," Fionnaoch said idly twirling his Scythe in his right hand and flexing his gauntleted left hand," It allows me to avoid attacks like that. I must admit though, that was quite impressive."

"But…" she said still in shock.

"My turn," Fionnaoch said with a smile. He disappeared momentarily and Kim, who was not new to combat, folded her wings back and energy formed at her hands to make twin energy blades. Fionnaoch appeared beside her in a flash and slashed with his scythe, which was blocked by one energy blade, and punched with his energized fist, which met with her other energy blade. At the moment they were in a stalemate and were very evenly matched.

"I under…estimated you," Kim said as she broke off the attack and jumped back about twenty yards," I will not do so again."

"I should hope not," Fionnaoch said with a smile as he disappeared again only to surround her with a circle of fifty Fionnaoch Astral Drops. She frowned at this, very deeply.

"One was annoying enough," Kim said with disgust," Now I have to deal with fifty of you? I will enjoy grinding your body into the dust pest."

"We shall see," the Fionnaochs said as one and then attacked together only to be decimated by her lesser elemental arrows except for one that blocked every arrow," Congratulations, you defeated a group of Astral Drops. Time for the main course."

"I will devour your then," she said with a deeper grimace.

So the two combatants fought for a half an hour, Fionnaoch attacking and countering with his scythe and spells while Kim Kakaski countered with her elemental powers and deadly arrows. Unlike their last fight, Fionnaoch seemed to be holding his own and Kim was starting to tire. Nobody had lasted this long against her and she was created to take out the most powerful beings in her reality and she was starting to crack and decided to use her most devastating technique, Elements Unite. She took to the air flying as high as she could as Fionnaoch was preparing his final spell.

"Fire, Water, Earth, Air!" Kim yelled as she reached the peak of her ascension," Elements Unite!"

As those final words left her mouth the red part of her wings turned black and flames wrap around her arms and a ball of lightening and fire forms in her hand. The clouds and water vapor in the air form a ring around her as the blue part of her wings turn black. Then the water starts to spiral and form a drill around her as the air in front of it is being moved to prevent air friction while the white part of her wings turns black and she starts to plummet. As she nears the ground a ramp of earth rises and she uses it as a landing strip as the green part of her wings turn black.

During this time, Fionnaoch had cast the most powerful spell known to him and the Scythe of Ulzbor became huge and it and Fionnaoch glowed with a strange silvery black light. As she lands to face Fionnaoch the ramp explodes sending boulders at Fionnaoch which bounce of him harmlessly and lava erupts all around. As Kim's Elements Unite attack met Fionnaoch's scythe slash, there was an explosion of elemental and arcane energy as the explosion created a crater five miles deep and thirty miles wide.

Kim Kakaski had been destroyed in a sense, she had been sent back to her own reality and her memory had been erased. All that was physically left of Fionnaoch was his ring, medallion, gauntlet, and the scythe, whose blade was broken. Standing beside the assorted objects was a figure that was slightly transparent and wearing all black with glowing yellow eyes. The figure waved his hand over the assorted objects and sent them to Candracar along with the information for the letter.

"I can't believe it," Fionnaoch said in his phantom-esc form," Less than three days out of that cursed prison and I get myself killed by a hottie, my life… or unlife I suppose, sucks so much right now."

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Nicholas Flamel was sitting in his throne room, when he saw the shards of the reality piercing green orb reassemble themselves. This made Flamel extremely upset that Kakaski had gotten herself killed along with that fool from Ulzbor. Now he could summon something else, but he never knew what would come out, or he could utilize its power for something else. He then decided to summon something and did his usual ritual of pulling the secret lever next to his throne and doing all of his crazy mumbo jumbo.

After the smoke had cleared and the magic had receded and the orb broke apart again, there were ten metal beings that looked like five feet tall salt shakers with an eyestalk on rotating metal dome heads. Then on the front of the bodies, were two protrusions that looked like a plunger and an eggbeater. They didn't really impress the Head Chemist very much.

"Who are you?" Flamel asked sourly.

"We are the Dalek!" one of them said in a harsh mechanical voice," I-den-ti-fy!"

"I am your master, Nicholas Flamel," he said simply.

"The Dalek do not serve inferior species! Ex-ter-min-ate!" the lead Dalek said as they all started firing green energy beams from their eggbeater-like protrusions. When they finally stopped firing, Nicholas reformed his gas body and sighed.

"You metal fools! I am Nicholas Flamel, you cannot destroy me so easily and I am far superior to you!" he finished with an athorative tone.

"None are superior to the Dalek!" another said angrily.

"It would appear that you need a change of attitude," Flamel said as he sent the shards of the green orb equally into the ten Daleks, they started to glow green and change. When the glowing finally stopped, they all appeared… exactly the same.

"Who do you serve?" Flamel said smugly.

"We serve you master," the Daleks said as one.

"We shall obey," another Dalek said.

"Excellent," he said happily;" Oak!"

"Yes?" she said walking in.

"Take the Daleks and see what they can do," Flamel told her and had another thought," Do not _train_ them in any way, understand me?"

"Yes," she said disappointedly as she led them to the training grounds.

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"Will," Matt said with Mr. Huggles on his shoulder," Do you think that we'll be able to save Caleb."

"Of course we will," she said with a smile for her boyfriend," Why do you ask?"

"I just don't want to be the only guy in the group, I'll be drowning in estrogen," Matt said with a frown.

"What about Eric, Aldarn, Blunk, Mr. Huggles, and Napoleon?" Will said with a _duh_ look on her face.

"Eric and Aldarn don't count because they mainly hang out with Hay Lin and Taranee respectively instead of the whole group, Blunk doesn't really count because he doesn't really hang out with the group, Mr. H. is more of a pet or mascot than a group member, and Napoleon is more like an old guy who hangs out near us," Matt finished looking completely serious.

"You've thought this out haven't you?" Will said with a quirked eyebrow and smiled.

"Yeah, I guess," Matt said with a slight blush.

"You are such a weirdo," Will said with a big grin.

"Hanging out with you guys for four years does that to a person," Matt retorted and stuck out his tongue.

"Oh yeah well," Will sticks her tongue out at Matt, who had stopped suddenly, back in retaliation," Wow, didn't know that you'd be so offended."

Will followed Matt's stare to see a strange little man in tattered gray robes. Will knew the man as soon as she saw him, Matt had told the others about him and how he had helped kidnap him and Mr. Huggles.

"Master… sends his… best… regards," Mutten said with a slight bow. Matt, Will, and Mr. Huggles all prepared to attack as the little man took a letter out of his pocket.

"No fight… only…letter," Mutten said as he put the letter gingerly on the ground and teleported away quickly.

All three of our heroes walked cautiously up to the letter and Will picked it up with a great deal of caution. She turned it over in her hands and looked at the wolf head seal in black wax. Will then popped the seal with her thumb and both she and Matt read the letter, looked at each other, and ran back to the Silver Dragon as fast as they could.

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"It would seem that the Guild leader has summoned new creatures from yet another reality," Coffinspawn said to the nine of the other members of the Order's high council. Coffinspawn was just a voice coming out clearly through a rusty looking metal coffin. There were of course War, Death, Famine, Pestilence, Ori Oni, and Charnelshroud, and the other three members currently at base; Venom Bones (a humanoid/green/ fanged skeleton), Tombgears (half marble skeleton half machine), and Urnashes (a cloud of ashes in a slightly humanoid shape).

"So what does it matter?" War asked disinterestedly.

"Fool," Death said looking at his fellow horseman," They could upset the balance of power between good and evil and all of our plans would go up in smoke."

"Then I should be allowed to join the fray!" War said smashing his heavy fist into the table," I could decimate them all with ease."

"You would be destroyed," Ori Oni said," They have too much power at the moment. That leads me to the next important piece of news… Flicker shall sacrifice himself for the cause."

"Urnashes wonders then who will be our thirteenth member then after we get new twelfth member?" Urnashes asked to the fortune telling demon.

"I have someone already lined up," Ori Oni said simply.

"Who?" they all asked him.

"I shall tell you all when the time is right according to the Tarot," Ori Oni finished mysteriously.

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**Preview: Fionnaoch's letter, evil love, and Crimson the Collective Abomination.**


	24. Chapter 24

**Thanks as always to my reviewers, DragonRaiderX9, CCRox4Eva, XV-Dragon, and Guardian's Light. Thanks to all of my readers too and I just ask for one review per reader… though more are always welcome.**

**Kdh.**

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Cornelia slowly woke up wondering where this pitch black place was and why she was tied down. In a rush, the memories of Shagon's attack and what had happened before that came back to Cornelia and started to panic. She eventually calmed down and tried to think of a way out of this and even attempted to use her powers to get herself out of this mess, but her powers seemed to be blocked by something. Soon enough when her plans all fell to pieces she gave up for then and hoped for the best. Suddenly the door to the outside of the room opened to admit someone, but Cornelia could only see the merest outline of his or her body.

"Hello dear girl, remember me?" a somewhat familiar voice asked Cornelia from the figures general direction.

"I do, you're Fenrow and you're gonna let me go now," Cornelia said with a serious tone.

"That's _Fenrir_ you little wench!" he said in a fit of rage and then calmed down," But I apologize, I cannot let you go. You see, I have some very special plans for you."

"I won't be Caleb's thrall and I will save him," Cornelia said confidently into the darkness.

"What makes you think that you're to be the Shadow Knight's thrall?" Fenrir asked in an amused tone.

"Your lackey Shagon said so," she retorted smugly.

"All I can say to that is, plans change," Fenrir said pacing in the darkness," You see, things just are working out the way I had planned with the Shadow Knight and now you serve no purpose. Do you know what I do to those in my power that have no purpose?"

"What, no demand or witty remark?" Fenrir asked when he received no answer," I will be back soon enough to… deal with you. I have other business to attend to at the moment so I'll go now."

Fenrir left the cell and closed the creaky door behind him as he left. Cornelia just lay their in the darkness, quietly crying thinking about what was to come and hoping that someone would come to her.

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Everything was chaos on Candracar that Tuesday morning and everyone was panicked. After Matt and Will had come back with the letter they had confirmed that Cornelia would be kidnapped the night before and nobody had gotten any sleep after the Guardians returned to tell everyone the news and show them the letter. Most disturbing of all, Fenrir had said in the letter that he would send an emissary on Thursday to negotiate a neutral place to hold the final battle.

Aurora was having a tough time assisting everyone and doing her duties after only having had three nights of sleep. She was running through the halls to her next destination when she was stopped by the Five Champions.

"Come with us," Lady Draquina the dragon woman said to her.

"Sorry, but I gotta go I have stuff to do," Aurora said trying to walk past them.

"Please lass," Morgan the pirate asked," This is extremely important, it could mean life or death."

Aurora looked at all five of them and noticed their usually cheery demeanor replaced by a more serious and somber one. She looked at each of them and was worried about it and wondered why.

"Okay," Aurora said as she followed them. Aurora thought that they were an odd contrast to the brightly lit halls of Candracar as she followed them to what she guessed was either their or Fionnaoch's rooms. When they turned another corner, Aurora was surprised that they were actually going to the Oracle's quarters, she new this because she had been there many times before to deliver messages and the like. When they arrived at the door, the Oracle immediately bid them to enter.

"Oracle," Aurora said with a respectful bow of her head.

"Aurora," the Oracle said with a sad smile," Have a seat. All of you take a seat if it pleases you my friends."

They all sat down in the comfortable chairs that the Oracle kept in his room for guests and the like. Aurora looked around at the room and gasped in shock when her eyes fixed upon Fionnaoch's magical items he had been bragging about the day before.

"Aurora last night before the Guardian's came back and the commotion started… Fionnaoch went on his own to Ulzbor and died in battle fighting an Alchemist Guild member," the Oracle said sadly," He left a letter and instructions from the Champions that if he passed that you were to inherit the power of the Heart of Ulzbor and all of his worldly possessions."

"Why me?" Aurora asked in shock. She barely even new Fionnaoch and she couldn't think of any reason why Fionnaoch would pick her to take up the Heart of Ulzbor.

"He said it was… fated," the Oracle said simply," These mystical items are yours to command now. You must now go to Ulzbor with the Champions to learn about your new powers and I will inform the others of what transpired between Fionnaoch and the Guild member and the news about the Guilds alternate reality minions."

With that the Oracle left the room to the Champions and a very shocked Aurora. The Champions gave her a few moments to let it all sink in. They knew from experience, in both giving and receiving the Heart of Ulzbor, that it could be quite a shock. After an appropriate amount of time, they started instructing her on what to do.

"Well young gal," Zui Quan the monk said unsteadily," Take up the Seal, the Signet, and the Hand."

"But they wont exactly fit me," Aurora said looking at them.

"Don't worry," Grendel said leaning on his battle axe," The magic will make it all correct."

She looked down at the assorted items and picked up the gauntlet and placed it on her left hand and it started to change and become slimmer and fit like a glove. She was in on at seeing this and put the ring on her right hand and it too changed to fit her. When she put on the medallion, she could feel the power of the items flow through her body and become one with her being.

"Excellent," Lady Draquina said happily," The other great items have accepted you. You must now take up the Scythe handle and then the blade and reunite them and the power of the Heart will be yours to command."

"Okay," Aurora said with more confidence now that such power was running through her veins. She takes up the scythe handle and can feel its power and takes up its razor sharp blade and reunites the two parts and with a blaze of magical energy the scythe reunites and changes. When the magic finished and the light receded to reveal a dead black bow about four feet long and having long blades at the tips, Aurora was stunned.

"Quite the impressive weapon young lady," the gladiator like Ghor said," Not exactly my style but not bad."

"Now that you have the 'art I would suggest that you fold us to Ulzbor lass," Morgan said getting up from his seat along with the other Champions.

"Right," she said determinedly and opened a fold and was followed by her five faithful Champions.

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Oak was extremely annoyed and bored having to test out the capabilities of the Daleks. Out of all of the lowly creatures that annoyed her, these metal trashcans were very near the top of her list. They were constantly saying that they and the Head Chemist were superior and other annoying things that got under Oak's skin… or metal casing.

"Quiet," Oak said to the chatty Daleks.

"We do not obey you," one said turning to her.

"You are inferior because you are not a Dalek or the Master," another said.

"Quiet," Oak said more forcefully trying to restrain herself from _training_ one of the Daleks into a pile of scrap so twisted that even Flamel couldn't transmute him back.

"You shall be quiet," yet another Dalek said.

"You shall obey," a Dalek said. Even intelligent Oak was getting lost because all of the Dalek were exactly alike in every way.

"Enough," Oak said as she took the closest Dalek by its eyestalk through its shield and then proceeded to rip off it's frontal weaponry and then beat it and rip it to scraps until she got to the inside to reveal the true form of the Dalek. Their true form inside of the tank like exteriors was actually just a mass of flesh with several tentacles and a single eye. Oak smiled upon looking at the weak creatures form and smashed it with her bare hands.

All the while the other Dalek were firing their lasers at her but to no avail. They stopped when their comrade's remains started to glow with the same green light as the orb that summoned them and went into Oak and flashed with a terrible emerald light. When the lights faded to reveal Oak had changed a little bit. She looked basically the same except for the Dalek eye on her forehead and having her left arm look more like a Dalek's lower body covered in the half orbs and that copper colored metal and was three times the size of her other arm.

"Ugh," Oak said in disgust looking at her changed arm.

"Oak!" Flamel said angrily looking at Oak," What happened?!"

"Crush annoying Dalek," she said happily and then after a moment to give her decaying vocal cords time to recover," Light changed me."

"Interesting," Flamel said walking around the cyborg," It would appear that when beings outside of their realities destroy one another they absorb the fallen. Very interesting."

"Arm?" Oak said lifting her Dalek arm.

"Why not go along with it?" Flamel said smugly at the cyborg lady," It's your own fault anyway."

"Hmm," Oak huffed angrily.

"Dalek!" Flamel said to the nine remaining Dalek.

"Yes?" they said in a chorus of harsh mechanical voices.

"Fight each other to the death," Flamel said already hovering away;" Oak… enjoy the show and hope they absorb each other. Don't come back to the lair for about twenty minutes, I wouldn't want you to get destroyed in my experiment."

"Will enjoy," she said as she sat cross legged on the ground as the Dalek started firing on each other.

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The experiment that Nicholas had in mind would make him the more powerful than he could ever have dreamed of before and he would have his army of alternate reality beings to back him up. Assembled before him were the other reality beings, Metal 7, the gigantic Abomination, Collective, and Flicker. Flicker was very important in his plans. And on the ground was a huge circle filled with magical and alchemical markings.

"Metal 7," Flamel said to his loyal servant," Go to the training grounds and stay there with Oak and the Dalek."

"Yes my lord," Metal 7 said as he disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"The rest of you sit around the circle and Abomination will go to the center," Flamel stood their and waited on his minions to move into position before he continued," Collective… you will fly to the top of abomination and sit on his head. You Flicker shall help me to destroy. Are you going to help me?"

"Yes," Flicker said happily yet knowing what was to come. He had a plan of his own for when this would happen and it would mean the fall of this fool.

"Good," Flamel said as he led the fiery skeleton into their spot on the giant circle," Begin my servants."

So began the ritual, with the alternate reality beings chanting and the symbols and lines of the circle starting to glow a deep dark blood red color and the power surging towards not only Flamel and Flicker but to Collective and Abomination as well. Flicker is acting as a buffer to relieve the spare Flamel from burning out himself and to lend his own powers. The blood red light starts glow ever brighter and the chanting ever more disturbing and everything starts to shimmer and ripple as the magic evolved combines the might of the three alchemical creatures. With an explosion that knocks back the Alternate reality servants, the ritual was complete.

Standing in the center of what was once the circle was a creature of pure evil. It's main body was still that of abomination with it's four legs of machinery, a giant Lurden's leg, an ooze leg, and a crustacean leg along with it's two huge half machine and half claw/lurden arms along with its four tentacles and all of its eyes were now different shades of red and glowing malevolently. Above it was a partially metal plated red cloud with two large crimson eyes that looked upon all around them. Finally the creature spoke with a wretched voice that would disgust even the most hardened of monsters.

"Ha ha ha," it laughed happily," I have done it. I am no longer Nicholas Flamel, but I am now Crimson the Collective Abomination. Bow before my power."

All of the alternate reality being bowed before their master in his now horrendous form and he laughed on. With the merest wave of one of his many limbs he created three Avatars. The avatars of this world are a variant form of Astral Drops that acts a kind of speaker for their maker. The three avatars Crimson created looked like him when he was an old man, a young man, and his former gaseous form. With that last trick Flamel thought that he had finally won and that victory was all but guaranteed.

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Cornelia had stopped crying and had all but given up hope after her time in her dark prison when she heard steps from outside running quickly and she thought the end was near as they reached the door. As the door opened, Cornelia looked over and was blinded by the light.

"Cornelia," a voice behind the light said with joy and relief.

"Caleb?" Cornelia said disbelievingly as her eyes adjusted to the torchlight and she looked upon her boyfriend who looked like he was back to normal," What happened to you being all evil and everything?"

"I was but something happened and… I blacked out and woke up to this," he said looking over himself in his normal clothing.

"I don't know how you did it Caleb, but I'm glad you're back," Cornelia said as her eyes were welling up with tears. Caleb was undoing all of her chains and shackles while he looked her in her eyes with his normal brown ones. When he was done he helped her up off the table and looked deeply into her eyes.

"I'm glad you're safe," Caleb said leaning in for a kiss.

"I'm glad you're back," Cornelia said with tears of joy streaming down her face.

They moved in for the kiss and their lips met in passion and joy and Cornelia was unimaginably happy. Her happiness turned to fear though when the torch went out and she felt a malevolent energy entered her body from Caleb and made her grow as cold as ice. Cornelia was becoming entrapped in the darkness from Caleb and eventually succumb to the darkness and when they broke the kiss, Cornelia's eyes were as black as the night and looking at the tattooed Caleb in the black wolf armor with his wicked sword strapped to his back.

"How do you feel?" Caleb asked with his voice becoming monotone once more.

"I feel… dark," Cornelia said seductively with a cruel and malevolent smile on her face.

"Excellent," Fenrir said walking in," I'm so glad you have decided to join us my dear girl."

"Me too," Cornelia said looking at Caleb in his black armor.

"Indeed," Caleb said looking her over with his wolf's head pupils.

"We have much to do with you yet my dear, but fear not," Fenrir said happily that his plan went so well," By the time we're done with you, you will be able to fight along side your beloved and serve the shadows together forever."

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**Preview: Search for the other four Shadow Guardians, Aurora's training, and the messenger of Fenrir.**


	25. Chapter 25

**Thanks to my four reviewers, DragonRaiderX9, XV-Dragon, CCRox4Eva, and Guardian's Light and all four of you had… interesting comments to say the least. Thanks to all of my readers too, and I'd name you too if you reviewed at least once and it doesn't take more than ten seconds.**

**Kdh. Hey good news, this story has reached 1917 hits.**

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"Here's his coat like you asked Oracle," Julian said respectfully.

"Thank you Julian," the Oracle said taking Caleb's coat from Julian and placing it into the center of the circle while the rest of the residents of Candracar and the Heart holders (except for Aurora who was training on Ulzbor) and their allies, even the remaining good members of C.H.Y.K.N., were gathered around. They needed to find the other Shadow Guardians before Fenrir or the Guild did and now they were using his favorite coat to use as a kind of tracking device to guide them to the other four Shadow Guardians before the meeting on the Thursday, which was then tomorrow.

The Oracle started casting the spell and was assisted by the power of the Hearts to make this spell all the more powerful. Slowly the coat started to glow with a dark aura and slightly levitate a little bit and then slowly go into the air and fly around in an ever widening circle like some strange bird of prey. All the while, the Heart holders kept lending their energies to the Oracle and he kept casting his spell until the coat exploded in dark energy that split into four beams. The four beams would travel to the farthest reaches of the universe and to the deepest reaches imaginable to find their charges… but they all stayed in the room.

The first beam of energy hit Eric and he was then surrounded by a whirlwind and it ended when the wind coalesced into the symbol of air on his chest. Next, a beam hit Aldarn and he was wrapped up in flames that turned into the symbol of fire on his chest. Then came the third beam of energy that hit Drake and surrounded him with water that became the symbol for water on his chest. The target of the last beam surprised everyone; it was Cassidy who was engulfed in a storm of electricity that became the symbol of quintessence on her forehead. The jacket then flew back down into the circle and the spell ceased and the symbols disappeared.

"Does this mean what I think it means?" Eric asked with his voice part excitement, part fear, and part disbelief.

"How can I be a Shadow Guardian?" Cassidy said more shocked than anyone," That's impossible, isn't it?"

"Go figure, I'm the Shadow Fire Guardian," Aldarn said calmly and taking it pretty well.

"I have powers huh?" Drake said sourly," I could really have used these during the reign of Phobos."

"Incredible," the Oracle said in awe. Even he could not have predicted this.

"What happens now?" Will asked to no one in particular.

"A very good question my young friend," Crone said standing up.

"Oracle do you have any suggestions?" Sandstorm asked.

"All that can stay here will stay here and protect these four," the Oracle said still in shock and more than a little unorganized (a pattern of his lately)," I must take time to meditate on this and to the Regents, the Guardians, and young Eric… go to your homes and make the proper arrangements to get the rest of the week off, you will be needed here. Oh, and bring the Heart of Earth with you, she must be protected."

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Aurora was reading the spell book full of the ancient arcane knowledge of Ulzbor. She had been practicing spells with Fionnaoch's new Phantom form phantom, learning archery from Lady Draquina, unarmed fighting from Zui Quan, and learning how to use the blades on her bow in combat from Ghor, Morgan, and Grendel. Fionnaoch had been the biggest surprise for Aurora when she arrived on Ulzbor and Fionnaoch had said that because he had died in battle with the Heart of Ulzbor he was suppose to rise and become the sixth Champion but because his body was destroyed and he drank from the Fountain of Youth, he was doomed to be somewhere between corporeal and incorporeal.

"Now lass," Morgan said pacing around her," Remember to guard your left and use your powers in unison. Go."

Morgan stabbed at her with his large cutlass and she blocked with her bladed bow and slashed at Morgan's head as he side stepped it and kicked her legs out from under her. As she was going down Morgan went in for the kill and was knocked back by a powerful energy arrow from Aurora's bow. Aurora quickly back flipped to her feet and continued firing arrows at him and recited a spell and was surrounded by Aurora astral drops.

"Not bad lass, not bad," Morgan said as he dodged and blocked not only Aurora's arrows but now the weaker astral drop arrows as well," But let's see how you do against this."

Morgan started spinning around sending out energy blades at the astral drops and they were taken out quite easily until only Aurora was left. She could barely keep up with the energy blades and she eventually had to stop firing and knock them away with her bow's blades. Morgan then charged her and she cast a spell on her next arrow of wind and water and when Morgan blocked it, his entire body except for his head was covered and entrapped in ice. Morgan couldn't break free to save his soul.

"How was that teach?" Aurora said walking up to him with a grin.

"Well done lass," Morgan said with a smile," Now would you be so kind as to unfreeze me lass?"

"Oh right, sorry," Aurora said as she melted the ice around him.

"You're getting better in the space of less than twenty four hours lass, very impressive," Morgan said with pride.

"Thanks," she said with a blush at his praise," I have a question though."

"Ask away," Morgan said flexing his limbs now that he was free.

"How come I don't feel tired or anything? I mean… I've been up since yesterday midnight," Aurora asked as she walked back to the Tomb of the Champions of Ulzbor which they were using as HQ.

"Fionnaoch dipped his scythe into the Fountain of Youth so some of it's properties pass on to it's holder such as the need to not sleep or to aid you in battle," Morgan said in a fatherly tone.

"Now that you say that, I did fell like my bow was guiding me," Aurora said looking at her weapon.

"As it should," Morgan said as they reached the tomb," On that note, after you learn more spells from Fionnaoch, you'll be fighting against Ghor and Grendel."

"Oh great," Aurora said sarcastically.

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"This new look suites you well," Caleb said in his monotonous voice looking over Cornelia.

"Doesn't it though," she said with a wicked smile. Cornelia was now dressed in an all black version of her Guardian outfit and instead of her fairy like wings on her back, there were two huge wings made of darkness and stone. In either hand she now carried a dagger, both were exact twins, and they each had blades as black as the darkest night and foul looking wolf's heads pommels. Most disturbingly, she now shared the wolfs head pupils that Caleb had.

"What do we do now?" Cornelia said walking over to Caleb seductively and wrapping her arms around him," I think we should find a shadowy spot somewhere. Wouldn't you agree… Lord Shadow Knight?"

"Tempting," Caleb said promptly," But we have work to do."

"Do we get to destroy something a least?" Cornelia asks with a pout.

"Yes," Caleb said.

"What or who is it?" she asked happily.

"It's a surprise," Caleb said," But I will tell you that certain Guild members will be joining us to find something very important to the master on Auras."

"Do we get to destroy them too?" Cornelia asked hopefully.

"I would not like to try against these two," Caleb said as he left the room followed by Cornelia.

"Why not?" Cornelia asked with a whine," We've faced Guild members before and we crushed them."

"These are higher members and they are stronger than most," Caleb said," We would defeat them but at a heavy cost to be sure."

"Do we get to kill some elementals on Auras?" Cornelia said sounding hopeless.

"As many as your black heart desires," Caleb said when he stopped and took Cornelia's chin in his hand and staring deeply into wolf's head pupils.

"You're so sweet," she said and was about to kiss him when they were interrupted.

"Lord… Shadow… Knight?" Mutten said appearing out of the shadows.

"What is it you little freak?!" Cornelia nearly screamed with her voice filled with anger and hatred. This caused Mutten to cower in fear at the words of the angry blonde.

"The Master… says… that it's …time…to…go," Mutten said.

"Tell him we will be there in a moment," Caleb said in his monotone voice.

"Yes…" Mutten said as he disappeared into the Shadows.

"Where were we?" Caleb asked leaning in for another try at a kiss.

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Arc was walking down the streets of the Gold City of Imtal to the Tribunal Tower to acquire a certain gem that Crimson the Collective Abomination needed for one of his experiments. Arc was the master of light and he was using it to blend into the crowds by projecting the light around himself to make him look like a Leosian. He was hoping to fight the King of the Leosians and the Queen of the Harpies to see if he could bring home some new hunting trophies.

Arc had finally reached the gates to the Tower and was stopped by the guards. They asked him who he was and what his business but he really didn't care at the moment and flashed a beam of multicolored lights into their eyes and they went into a zombie like trance. He walked through the entry chambers flanked by his two thralls who guarded the doors as he burst into the main chamber where there were only the King of the Leosians, the Harpy Queen, and the King and Queen of the Merfolk.

"What is the meaning of this intrusion?" King Leol asked from his throne.

"Indeed Leosian, what do you want?" Queen Calia asked turning her head to one side.

"My name…" Arc said as he went back into his multicolored light form,"… is Arc and I'm here to get a certain Gem of the Mage."

"What do you mean!?" Calia asked drawing her throwing knives.

"Don't play coy with me queenie! We know that the Mage brought the Gem here before the Veil was raised," Arc said as he started to glow brightly.

"My friends," Leol said to the Merfolk king and queen while not taking his eyes off of Arc," Go now and alert the guards."

"Alright," they said as they swam down deep into the pool of water and out into the city.

"I suppose that I'll have to beat it out of you," Arc said as he started to glow with a flash of light and change.

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"This is fun, we should destroy elementals more often," Cornelia said as she slashed a large water creature across the face with her twin daggers.

"Fun," Oak said happily as punched a large rock creature with her Dalek arm and shattered it into a thousand pieces.

"Not much of a challenge though," the golden Metal 7 said as he and the other four copies smashed various red plant creatures and cut them in half with their mercury whips.

"Doesn't hurt for a warm up though," Caleb said as he sliced a strange bird creature in half and drove a large stone spike up through the ground into a creature that was about to stab Cornelia in the back.

"That's so sweet of you," Cornelia said walking up to Caleb as Metal 7 and Oak finished destroying what was left of the elemental forces.

"I get to protect you _and_ kill someone," Caleb said with a smile on his tattooed face," It's a bonus for me on both counts."

"When we get back," Cornelia whispered into his ear as they embraced," You are going to get such a reward."

"May we get back to the task at hand?" Metal 7 said as he finished his last opponent.

"Find more enemies?" Oak asked hopefully.

"Ooh ooh, I agree with Oak," Cornelia said jumping up and down.

"You two are blood thirsty and I too would love to destroy more of these creatures," Caleb said," But we have a job to do."

"Please, for me?" Cornelia asked with a pout.

"After we get the ore and get it to the master, then we can destroy as many enemies as your heart desires," Caleb said looking her in the eyes.

"Okay," Cornelia said disappointedly. Oak merely looked at Metal 7 and he just looked at her right back.

"Don't look at me," Metal 7 said to the cyborg lady," That's for the master to decide."

"Cornelia… shall we?" Caleb asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Let's," she said with one of those wicked smiles she loved to do now that she was evil.

They came together facing each other and stopped at about five feet apart and knelt down to the ground and placed their hands on the ground and then the earth started to shake. Metal 7 and Oak just stood there because they weren't shaken so easily (pun intended). The earth between them broke apart and from deep within the earth of Auras rose strange looking stone flecked and made up of the same type of metal that Caleb's sword and Cornelia's daggers were made of. Slowly it came until it became a huge boulder of metal and stone and the evil couple placed it on the ground so they could rest.

"We'll take our share and go," Metal 7 said as he and Oak took roughly one fifth of the giant boulder and disappeared into nothingness.

"That was annoying," Cornelia said looking at the boulder.

"I agree wholeheartedly," Caleb said looking at the boulder of Shadow Metal Ore and then with a wave of his hand teleported it to the base.

"Now can we destroy more elementals?" Cornelia asked hopefully.

"Yes," Caleb said with a smile. Cornelia just hugged him and together they went off to find more enemies to eliminate.

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"So nice to see you again Nicholas," Fenrir said as he walked outside of his castle to greet the Head Chemist. Not even Fenrir realized that the gaseous red creature before him was merely an Avatar.

"As it is to see you Lord Fenrir," Nicholas said politely with a bow. He thought of what a fool Fenrir was and was already imagining how he would destroy him.

"I have asked you here to do me a little… favor," Fenrir said taking a stroll around the ancient graveyard.

"Oh, and what would that be?" Flamel asked getting suspicious of his _ally_.

"Tomorrow, as you know, I'm sending two emissaries to Candracar to negotiate a neutral battle ground for the final battle and I would like you and one of your minions to go along," Fenrir said calmly trying to gauge his reaction.

"Oh, and why would that be?" Flamel asked.

"Well you know your forces better than I do and you could help us pick a spot to help us gain the upper hand," Fenrir said.

"I see no reason not to my lord," Flamel said, not liking this idea at all.

"Good," Flamel said going back into the castle," I'll see you tomorrow before I send you all to the meeting and I'll make sure you have a little insurance."

"As you say my lord," Flamel said as he bowed and disappeared.

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**Preview: The messengers of Fenrir, continued training on Ulzbor, Arc on Imtal, and teaching of the Shadow Guardian (probably not in that order).**


	26. Chapter 26

**Thanks to all of my awesome reviewers, XV-Dragon (now you'll see what happens next), Guardian's Light (thanks for the idea and here's more evil Corny for you), DragonRaiderX9 (you scare me a little bit), and CCRox4Eva (here's a Corny Shagon moment you'd like). **

**Kdh. I do not own anything that you recognize as the property of somebody else. Hey, this story reached over 2062 hits.**

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"I suppose you four have your questions and after meditating, I believe that I can answer your questions," the Oracle addressed the four Shadow Guardians.

"I have to ask the top question on all of our minds," Eric said immediately," Why is she a Shadow Guardian? It really doesn't make sense."

"I used an ancient artifact to help me see the possibilities, I saw that the intended Shadow Guardian of Quintessence was Phobos," he waited as the gasps of shock died down from Drake and Aldarn," But he did not take up the position because the good of your Shadow Heart rejected him."

"What do you mean our Shadow Heart?" Cassidy asked suspiciously.

"From the same vision, I found that with all of the power of the Shadow Aurameres there were two Hearts," the Oracle said calmly to the ever more shocked Shadow Guardians," One for good and one for evil. The good one rejected Phobos from his birth, but I believe that the evil Heart has accepted him and that not only is he powered by the Shadow Earth Auramere, but the Evil Shadow Heart as well."

"That still doesn't explain me though," Cassidy said uneasily.

"You weren't exactly chosen my friend, but more… the Heart was drawn to you to fill the void left by Phobos when he went to evil," the Oracle said calmly," You see Cassidy, you have been given the spark of life twice _and_ you have been the Guardian of water and quintessence, so, it was drawn to your rather unique life force."

"I see," she said with a considering look on her face.

"What do we do now Oracle?" Aldarn asked.

"I would ask you all to stay here in my chambers with the Guardians, Regents, and young Lillian until the messengers of Fenrir leave," the Oracle said as he started walking to the door," After that we will show you three the basics and see what Cassidy can do after all of these years."

"I think I'll manage Oracle," Cassidy said with a smile as he left the room and the others entered to guard the Shadow Guardians.

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Arc had changed in mere moments, right before the eyes of King Leol and Queen Calia. He was no longer a blob of shifting colors but seventeen humanoids with each a different color and all wearing business suits of the same grey color. They each had pretty basic faces and no recognizable hair and they all carried two kamas each (for people who don't know what a kama is… review and ask about it).

"You will not get the gem," Leol said while hefting his huge lion themed battle axe.

"Oh I disagree," a red Arc said as they all closed in on the Harpy and Leosian.

"You don't scare me you undersized rainbow," Calia said as she flew from her perch and started throwing her knives at the Arcs and they had no problem blocking them as the rest charged at Leol as he gave a mighty roar. The Harpy and the Leosian were not new to combat by any means and they were in their primes with the skills to fight with the best, but the Arcs were great warriors as well and they had numbers on their side.

"You two aren't half bad," all seventeen Arcs said as one as they leapt back across to the other side of the room," Let us show you how dangerous _we_ can become."

With those words, the seventeen Arcs became seven; red, green, blue, yellow, black, white, and the rest of the colors. They didn't seem that much more dangerous, but Leol and Calia didn't let their guards down.

"We'll give you one last chance," the seven Arcs said," Give us the Gem of the Mage or suffer the consequences."

"Never shall we give-," Leol said as Calia interrupted him.

"No," Calia said firmly," Fighting you serves no purpose and it would only serve to cause pain on both sides. The Gem is hidden on Candracar and in the possession."

"You lie!" the red Arc said as his Kamas blades caught fire.

"She does not," Leol said with a smirk," We sent it to them when we sent the merfolk princess."

It was at that moment that a contingency of Leosian and Harpy guards burst through the door. The Arcs looked from the guards and back too the royals and with a growl of rage all seven of them disappeared in a flash of light and Arc reappeared back at the Guild Headquarters back in his light blob form. The Avatar of Flamel in his old man form walked up to him with a toothless evil grin.

"Did you get the Gem?" Flamel's Avatar asked with his insane look.

"I'm sorry my lord, but the Gem was apparently given to the Council of Candracar when the Heart of Imtal joined their forces," Arc said sadly to his master.

"You are certain of this?" he asked suspiciously.

"Yes my lord, I could read their eyes and they were not lying," Arc said respectfully.

"Very well," Flamel said angrily," Come along because we have work to do."

"Yes my lord," Arc said as he followed the old man.

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Aurora was doing well in her training and had advanced so much that she was already casting some of the more complicated spells and could defeat Ghor, Grendel, and Morgan in combat. Fionnaoch was a surprisingly good teacher of magical arts and he was teaching her all of his greatest spells, and on a personal note, Fionnaoch had finally accepted his fate of eternal undeath and promptly started flirting with Lady Draquina as soon as he had. Aurora was really starting to look up to the six of them as if they were older brothers and an older sister that just happened to be undead.

"Now I'm going to give you something that I was saving for a special occasion," Lady Draquina said to Aurora after an intense session of archery training.

"What is it," Aurora said unenthusiastically as she plopped down on the ground in exhaustion.

"This…" Lady Draquina said as she pulled a small vile out of the pocket of her clothing,"…is a vile of the blood of the dragon I slew when I first gained the power of the Heart. I no longer need it and I thought that with the coming threat, you should have it."

Aurora took the small vile from Draquina when it was handed to her and looked more closely at it. The actual vile itself seemed to be made of crystal and the blood within moved of its own accord.

"How come the blood is moving?" a very freaked out Aurora asked.

"It's the blood of a very powerful Ulzboran Dragon," Lady Draquina said," I slew my fair share of them because they were extremely cruel and loved to torment people."

"I see," Aurora said looking at the vile closely," So do I just wear it then?"

"You have to drink it," Lady Draquina said with a serious look on her face.

"You have got to be kidding me," Aurora said with a disgusted look on her face.

"Don't worry," Lady Draquina said with a reassuring smile," You'll only gain fire breath and enhanced physical abilities, if that's what you're worried about. You only gain the scales and the tail after drinking much more."

"It's not that, though it is nice to know, no offence," Aurora said quickly.

"None taken."

"It's just that… it's blood," Aurora said slowly.

"Oh," Lady Draquina said looking at the young Altermere," Don't worry about it, it really doesn't have much of a taste and the moving stops after you swallow."

"Well…" Aurora said as she unstopped the bottle," Bottoms up."

Aurora then tipped it up and she drank it down. It felt really creepy as it wiggled down her throat but she had to admit that the taste wasn't so bad but she could have gone without it.

"Ick," Aurora said after she drank it," That was nasty."

"I suppose I got used to it after a while," Lady Draquina said with a smile.

"How much did you drink to get used to that!?" Aurora asked in shock.

"Questions like that are best left unanswered," Lady Draquina said as she and Aurora got up," Besides you have to train Fionnaoch and me in combining your arrows with the higher level spells."

"Let's go," Aurora said as they walked to the tomb.

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Assembled at the main entry of Candracar were; Golem of Aridia, Ironwood of Zamballa, Prince Dorian Parador and Queen Elyon (who were holding hands), Crone of Golias, Ackeron and Varog of Arthrosia (who were conversing in what they called spider language), Prince Garret of Jaxel, Aria of Imtal, Sandstorm and Steam of Auras, Alchemy in her armored form, and the Oracle and the rest of the Council of Candracar. They were all waiting for the emissaries of Fenrir and they were there to be a show of force so the emissaries didn't try anything. They also had Gargoyle, Sandpit, Raythor, Coordinator (who had taken up permanent residence on Candracar), the Four Druids of Golias, and certain other trustworthy beings were stationed around Candracar to make sure that the forces of evil didn't try anything sneaky.

Finally, at the time stated in the letter sent by Fenrir, his emissaries arrived via Shadow Teleportation. Caleb was in the lead in his full armor and his sword strapped to his back as his narrowed eyes took in all that was around him. Next came the skeletal Baron Krieg with his one glowing red eye looking around the room. Then came Echo with his clawed feet clicking on the stone floor and his body mostly covered by his bat like wings. Finally came the gaseous Nicholas Flamel followed by a tall fellow with grey brown hair and a neatly trimmed beard who wore a black military like uniform with a glove on his left hand.

"Greetings," the Oracle said sourly to the assembled group of enemies.

"Greetings, these are Baron Krieg, Echo, Nicholas Flamel, Rimmer Dall, and I am the Shadow Knight as you know," Caleb said as his eyes narrowed on seeing Alchemy," We are here to decide on the time and the place for the final battle so we can finish this once and for all."

"So be it," the Oracle said as he started to turn around to go to the main chambers.

"We will discuss it here," Caleb said suddenly.

"As you wish," the Oracle said," I have discussed this with the others and we would like to do the final battle at high noon Candracar time, this Saturday."

"_The day after tomorrow_?" Echo said telepathically," _That would be acceptable_."

"Indeed," Caleb said," As to neutral ground we have three possibilities, Flamel."

"We would only accept Fluidia, Charon, or the Abyss Space Area," the Head Chemist said in all seriousness.

"Are you mad?" the Oracle asked in a shocked tone that was very uncommon for him," We will not accept any of the three!"

"Fine, then we can keep picking each other off until nothing is left and everything is destroyed," Caleb said with a grimace.

"As much as I hate to admit it, he's right," Crone said with a very angry grimace.

"So be it," the Oracle said sourly," I choose Abyss Space because there is no possible way your master can manipulate it."

"As you say and our meeting is done," Caleb said as the he and his companions teleported away.

"Oracle what is this Abyss Space?" Elyon asked immediately after they teleported away.

"I do not know much except for it is a dream like realm that is mysterious even to the most learned and filled with strange beings and rules that differ from our own," the Oracle said to the collected group.

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"Cornelia! How are you?" Shagon asked striding into the main hall of the castle where Cornelia was lounging around waiting for Caleb to return.

"Fine Shagon," she said disinterestedly walking over to the window to look out.

"Excellent to hear Cornelia," he said walking up to the window next to Cornelia," I was thinking that while you are waiting for the Shadow Knight, you and I could go destroy something. What do you say?"

"Hmm," Cornelia said tapping a finger to her lips," Well…"

"Come on now, you and I could make beautiful destruction together," Shagon said flirtatiously," I'm much stronger than the Shadow Knight and I could give you all the enemies you could possibly want to destroy and more power than you could dream of with negative emotions."

"A very generous offer Shagon," Cornelia said smiling while looking into his glowing green eyes and leaning in close as she whispered," But I'm with the Shadow Knight."

"Don't be foolish," Shagon said, his voice gaining a touch of anger as he grabbed her wrist," You should accept my offer."

"Huh," Cornelia sighed and rolled her eyes," Move you icy hand or lose it."

"Ooh, I'm really scared," Shagon said sarcastically.

"You should be," Cornelia said as she flashed him one of her new wicked smiles and disappeared from his grasp. Shagon was shocked for a moment until he felt the tip of her knife touch his back. With a quickness that belied his size, Shagon turned around and slashed at Cornelia with his now razor sharp ice arm, only to find her gone again.

"Tisk, tisk, tisk," Cornelia said to a shocked Shagon from the other side of the room," Don't you know that it's not nice to attack a lady?"

"When I see a lady I'll be sure not to attack her," Shagon said as watery tentacles started to snake out of his chest.

"Yeah well…" Cornelia said idly as she started walking towards Shagon and drawing her knives," Let's see how funny you are when I cut out your heart."

"What are you two doing?!" a very angry Hurricana asked as she and Pyros walked into the main hall.

"We were just having a friendly conversation," Cornelia said with her face adorned with one of her wicked smiles and she sheathed her knives.

"Any more friendly and we'd all be dead," Pyros hissed from all three of his mouths under his breathe.

"I enjoyed our little… _conversation_," Shagon said too calmly as he stalked off deeper into the castle," I look forward to our next _conversation_ my dear Cornelia."

"Me too," Cornelia said as she flipped her hair and flashed her wicked smile and walked out of the front door.

"This will be interesting to say the least," Hurricana said looking at the receding Cornelia.

"Sssshould we inform Lord Fenrir?" Pyros asked looking at his spider-like companion.

"No," Hurricana said as a smirk played on her ancient lips," Let's just sit back and enjoy the entertainment."

"You're so evil sometimes," Pyros said as they teleported away.

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**Preview: Oak's upgrade (you'll see why she got the Shadow Metal and don't worry GL), Fenrir's readying for war, Guild's readying for war, good's readying for war, and training completed.**


	27. Chapter 27

**Thanks to all of my reviewers, Guardian's Light (What do you think of Oak's upgrades), CCRox4Eva (sorry, no fighting but some tense moments), and XV-Dragon (next time is the showdown). Thanks to all of my readers who didn't review too. I'm disappointed in you DragonRaiderX9.**

**Kdh.**

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"My loyal minions, I am proud to say that tomorrow that our victory will be at hand," Fenrir said looking upon his loyal minions," I, Pyros, the Shadow Knight, Cornelia, Hurricana, and Shagon will all go to the to the Abyss Space while Baron Krieg and Echo shall command our shadow tainted forces here so that we come back from one victory to another."

"As you say my lord," Caleb said hitting his fist to his chest in salute.

"We have the power of five now, one for each element, and we can now summon to us an army that knows no equal," Fenrir said looking upon the six assembled before him," Now go and rest in the shadows for the night and tomorrow we shall destroy our enemies and grind them into the dust."

They all bowed out respectfully as Fenrir sat there in his chambers. When all six of them left, Mutten came out of the shadows to do his masters bidding.

"Yes… Master?" Mutten asked as he slinked over to Fenrir who was sitting down cross legged in a meditation position.

"Go out and keep an eye on Shagon and the Shadow Knight, then make your normal rounds to check up on the others while I finish shaping my armor from the ore," Fenrir said in a stern, demeaning tone.

"Yes… Master," Mutten said as he bowed in disappeared into the shadows only to appear in one of the many other chambers of the castle to find, as Fenrir suspected, Shagon and Caleb having a… disagreement.

"Stay away from Cornelia, Shagon," Caleb said monotonously," If you do not than I will have to get nasty and I do not want top interfere with the master's plans by destroying you."

"Do you think that you scare me?" Shagon asked with all of his bravado," Besides, I was just having a little fun with your pretty little blonde anyway."

"I do scare you Shagon, I can tell," Caleb said and then continued," The only emotions I truly feel anymore are loyalty and love, otherwise it's a destructive void, and that terrifies you."

"I don't need to feed off of negative emotions because I can destroy you any other way I like," Shagon said as he became more defensive and his voice rose.

"I'd like to see you try," Caleb said with a little smirk.

"Now, now boys, no need to fight over me," Cornelia said as she walked over to Caleb and through her arms around him," I've made my choice."

"I'll give you one last chance Cornelia," Shagon said trying to keep his voice under control," Join me now or stay with your weak Shadow Boy."

"Like I said last time," Cornelia said with her wicked smile," I pick Shadow Knight."

"So be it," Shagon said with a growl as he stocked out of the room.

"That was amusing," Caleb said.

"So it was," Cornelia said happily," It will be even better tomorrow when my former friends finally get to see me for the first time in my new outfit."

Mutten didn't stick around after that, he just slide out to check on the others as were his orders. They weren't doing anything out of the ordinary, except for Echo who had gone out for his nightly "feeding". With that Mutten went back and got his final orders from his master and had one final task to do.

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"You've grown more than any of us expected in three days," Fionnaoch said with a smile on his transparent face.

"Indeed lass, we're all proud of ya," Morgan agreed.

"Thanks everyone, but what's with this little break? I know that it isn't time for lunch yet," Aurora questioned her undead teachers all around her, sitting in the Tomb of the Champions.

"Ghor and I found one of the hidden items of Ulzbor when we were off teaching duty," Grendel said as he pulled out a strange grey green jar covered in runes.

"What is it?" Aurora asked," I can sense its power."

"Well that's the thing ole' gal, we don't have the foggiest," Zui Quan said in his perpetually slurred voice.

"What we do know is that the Signet is the key," Lady Draquina said as she took the jar from Grendel and handed it to Aurora as she pointed at the top where there was a small indentation that the ring would fit perfectly into.

"Is it safe?" Aurora asked the group because she had read in some of the books of the dangerous traps left by former Heart holders.

"As far as I could tell as long as you have the Heart and the Weapon you should be fine," Fionnaoch said with an unconcerned air about him.

"Here goes nothing," Aurora said as she placed the ring on her hand onto the top of the jar and turned it. After a half turn of the ring, there was a loud click and the top of the jar came off. Aurora looked into the jar and gently she pulled out a small coin about the size of a quarter with the symbol of the skull biting the lightening bolt on it.

"Rather disappointing a what," Zui Quan said disappointedly.

"Not as much as you'd think, you foolish old monk," Ghor said looking at it through the narrow visor of his gladiator like helmet," I recognize that coin from when I was a young fellow. It belonged to my father and he hid it away to spite me because I filled his bed with morphans, he hated them."

"Is everybody that ever lived on Ulzbor as dysfunctional as you six?" Aurora asked.

"Probably," Lady Draquina said with a smile.

"So what does it do?" Aurora asked Ghor.

"If I remember correctly, it isn't just a power source, but it… it…," Ghor said straining to think of what power it had.

"It… it… what?" Fionnaoch said, getting annoyed at the gladiator.

A fold opened suddenly in the tomb and everyone jumped quickly into battle positions. Ackeron, in his true Arachnotaur form, walked out and went immediately to Aurora.

"Aurora, it's good to see you again but you have to come back to Candracar," Ackeron said with all seriousness.

"Why? What's happening?" Aurora asked calmly which shocked her.

"The emissaries of Fenrir came and went yesterday and tomorrow was the day decided upon for the final battle and we need you back to discuss strategy," Ackeron said slowly but surely.

"Let's go then," Aurora said confidently," Let's go everyone."

"Now I remember," Ghor said as he got up to follow them," The coin becomes a deadly throwing weapon that decapitates the enemy."

"Not exactly my cup of tea there Ghor," Aurora said with a slight grimace.

"You could always use it to make the arrows of your bow more deadly," Ackeron suggested.

"Excellent idea ole' boy," Zui Quan said as he patted him on the back. As they were leaving Aurora smiled at Ackeron who blushed in return as they walked through the fold together.

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Crimson the Collective Abomination, formerly Nicholas Flamel, looked around himself at his gathered minions and was savoring the victory he thought was to come. He looked upon his favored minions from the Alternate Realities that he had summoned and they would be key in his victory and would psychologically damage his enemies. They were more powerful than Fenrir and the forces of good combined and Flamel knew it.

Next he looked through the eyes of his young form Avatar form who was _recruiting_ soldiers with Arc. Flamel had no real need of the Crustaceataurs, but he didn't get to be half a millennium old without knowing you needed a backup plan. This time he planned to just transmute them into super Crustaceataurs, which was just turning three or four of them into one big one.

Finally he looked through the eyes of his old and gaseous Avatars who were supervising Metal 7 on the upgrade of his prized warrior Oak. After realizing that the super Dalek, that had been created when the Daleks had killed each other, needed the tenth one to be whole and powerful he had made it so that Oak's Dalek upgrade had been removed ,which was extremely annoying. That was why he had Oak and Metal 7 retrieve the Shadow Metal Ore so Oak's armor would be stronger and her punches and kicks deadlier.

"Oak should awaken soon and then we can test her new abilities," Metal 7 said to the two Avatars.

"Excellent," Old Avatar said with an insanely, malicious grin," With her natural affinity for destruction, it should make the metal all the more stronger."

"It's a shame that we had to substitute the Gem of the Mage with a mere earth elemental from Auras," Gaseous Avatar said disapprovingly at the small, burnt out looking crystal clutched in Oak's hand. The crystal appeared to be a perfect replica of a spider.

"Look," Metal 7 said as Oak started to stir," Our little project is awakening."

"How do you feel Oak?" Gaseous Avatar asked.

"Destructive," she said looking around and happy to see that the Dalek in her had been removed, both eye and arm. She got up and looked at herself in the dusty mirror they had provided and was extremely pleased with her transformation. Were as before she just had a plain metal casing, her arms (only the forearms because her upper arms were bare bone) and her legs were made from Shadow Metal, the same metal that made up the weapons of Cornelia and Caleb. The tips of her feet were now tipped with razor sharp hooks and her forearms were covered in small razor sharp blades.

"Now you have the ability to put all of your evil into every punch," Old Avatar said happily.

"Not only that, but you now have some mystical power in the sense of channeling your power into manipulating your body to cause all the more destruction," Gaseous Avatar said.

"I like," Oak said flexing her hands.

Receding back into his own body, Crimson was extremely pleased that all of his plans were coming together. Not only was he personally powerful, but he now had the best minions the universe could offer. The Head Chemist was on cloud nine and savoring the victory that was to come.

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"Just imagine you're the wind, flying gracefully like a fish," Hay Lin said while teaching Eric enough to get by with his powers for the battle tomorrow.

"Umm, like a fish?" Eric asked a bit confused.

"Why are you talking about fish?" Hay Lin asked right back, also confused.

"Because you just said flying gracefully like a fish," Eric retorted.

"Just ignore that then and… do like I do," Hay Lin said as she extended her arm and twirled her hand around creating a miniature tornado in her hand.

"Okay, that doesn't seem so hard," Eric said as he tried the same move only to knock his own feet out from under him with a gust of wind. Hay Lin started giggling at this.

"At least you have that part down flat," Hay Lin said with a smile.

"Funny," Eric said with a smile in return as Hay Lin helped him up.

"Don't worry, after tomorrow I'll teach you everything I know," Hay Lin said happily.

"That's what I love about you, always the optimist," Eric said happily.

"This isn't optimism," Hay Lin said a little more seriously," This is faith in our friends and the whole good always triumphs over evil thing and after that we're getting Corny and Caleb back."

"You're really cute when you're determined," Eric said and immediately blushed.

"Heh," Hay Lin smiled and blushed too," Time we get back to training."

"Yeah," Eric said as he tried that trick again.

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Will and Matt were just sitting there. Nothing special, just sitting there. They were both veterans of many battles by now and they knew that this was a fight that they might not win. They had already said their goodbyes to their families incase anything were to happen and now they were just sitting in each others arms looking at the night sky of Candracar.

"Will?" Matt said breaking the silence.

"Yeah?" Will responded.

"I just had to say that through all the time I've known you, I wouldn't trade a second of it for anything," Matt said with a grin at the memories as he had an afterthought," Except for the whole, thrall of Narissa part."

"Back at you," Will said as they cuddled up closer, looking out at the stars.

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"Irma," Garret said nervously while they were about to part ways to go to their respective rooms on Candracar," There's something that I have to say."

"Oh, what's that?" Irma said with a playful smile.

"Well, I… um have to tell you that, even though I've only known you for a little over a week and we haven't gotten to spend much time together that I… I…" Garret stuttered out. He normally was quiet the speaker, but Irma tied his tongue in knots.

"Shhhh," Irma said putting a finger to his lips," I like you too, clockwork arm and all."

With that she took her finger off of his lips and lightly kissed him. With that done, she gave him one of her winning smiles and walked down the hall to her rooms. Garret just stood there in shock and finally said the first thing that came to mind.

"YES!!!!!" Garret yelled loud enough that the rest of Candracar could clearly hear him as he jumped for joy.

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"You're doing pretty well for your first time," Taranee said as she watched Aldarn light and put out candles at will.

"I have a good teacher," Aldarn said as he started making the flames fly through the air and smiling at Taranee.

"Aldarn," Taranee said with a worried look on her face.

"What?" he asked confused by her worry.

"You set the drapes on fire," Taranee said as Aldarn started to pay attention to the flames.

"Oh crap!" Aldarn said as he attempted to put out the flames.

"You're lucky you're cute," Taranee said as she separated the flames from the drapes.

"That's half the reason I go out with you because you're the smart one," Aldarn said with an apologetic grin.

"What's the other half?" Taranee asked with a quirked eyebrow.

"Because you're beautiful and sweet," Aldarn said with a suave smile.

"You can be so sweet sometimes," Taranee said looking at her boyfriend," But we have to get back to training unless you want to burn us all to a crisp."

"Do we have to?" Aldarn asked with a grin as he leaned in close. Taranee leaned in close too, almost close enough to kiss him.

"Training now, making out later," Taranee said to a very disappointed Aldarn as she tried to teach him to make fireballs.

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"You dance beautifully Queen Elyon," Dorian said as he waltzed with Elyon to the music of a magical orb from Parador.

"Dorian, I've told you to just call me Elyon," she said with a smile while shaking her head," And there isn't any need to call me lady Elyon or anything like that either."

"My apologies, Elyon," Dorian said politely," It's just how I speak."

"I know," Elyon said as she danced with him. She had been taught how to dance during her time on Meridian for royal functions and the like, and she hated it until now. All too soon in the eyes of Elyon, the song ended.

"That was most pleasant," Dorian said deactivating the orb.

"Yeah," Elyon said as she suddenly saddened.

"What's wrong lad- Elyon?" Dorian asked.

"Nothing with you, I'm just worried about Cornelia… and my friends… and my people," Elyon said suddenly depressed.

"Do not worry my lady, we shall succeed because we are fighting for the right reasons and we have justice on our side," he said determinedly.

"You're right, thanks," Elyon said as she gave him a peck on the cheek," And don't call me my lady please."

"Old habits die hard," he said as he offered her his arm and they walked together to the main hall of Candracar.

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**Preview: Crazy stuff will go down next chapter and maybe the one or two chapters after that.**


	28. Chapter 28

**Thanks to all of my reviewers, Guardian's Light (here's the start for you), Just another fanatic (glad you're enjoying the story), and XV-Dragon (Crazy stuff is going down). Thanks to all of my readers who didn't review as well. To DragonRaiderX9 and CCRox4Eva, that hurts.**

**Kdh. Enjoy.**

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Will was asleep and not having a very restful night to say the least. Her dreams were plagued with visions of death and destruction for her friends and everyone at the hands of evil. Just as she was about to wake up screaming, she found herself in a beautiful garden like area, it was most calming. Will noticed also that she was actually aware in the dream; she could control herself and was thinking rationally.

"Greetings Keeper of the Heart of Candracar," A strange, male voice said to a shocked Will. The voice had a strange accent that she couldn't quiet place, something familiar.

"Who are you?" Will asked looking around," Why have you brought me here?"

"Fear not, if I wanted to destroy you I would have done it already," the voice said slightly amused. It now had a normal accent and was decidedly a woman's voice.

"How many of you are there?" Will asked looking around and clutching the dream Heart of Candracar tightly in her hands and thinking of a way out.

"Just me," the voice said in a computer like voice," I can speak however I chose, look however I chose, and do whatever I chose in this dream world, Abyss Space, or any place I desire."

"So what do you want from me?" Will asked looking around still suspicious of the voice.

"Believe it or not, I'm here to help you sugar," the voice said become feminine once more with a southern accent," To succeed, or a least save your friend tomorrow, you must only activate the Heart when you face Cornelia. You must get the others to focus all of their love for each other and what they believe in to save her and I'll do the rest."

"Why should I believe anything you say?" Will said with her arms now crossed over her chest with an annoyed look on her face," How do I know you aren't just some lackey of Fenrir or a Guild goon."

"Ye do not lass," the voice said now with a masculine Scottish accent," But, if you do not do et, than Cornelia will forever be lost to evil."

"How do I know I can trust you?" Will asked starting to consider what it was saying.

"You do not," the voice said sounding now like many voices," But I must have your answer or I cannot help and your reality will be doomed and then all will fall."

"I have to talk it over with my friends," Will said looking all around her.

"You cannot," the voice said with its many voices," I can only speak to you here and I must have your answer soon."

"I want your promise that you aren't evil," Will said forcefully.

"As you wish," the voice said," I swear on all that is, on every reality and world, that I am not of evil and I do only what is best for existence."

"Fine, I agree to do as you ask," Will said.

"So it is agreed and so shall it be done," the voice said as the entire place rippled and changed into a place of lights and darkness," You will not remember our meeting but the others will go along with our agreement and tomorrow when we meet you shall remember and see."

"Wait I-," Will started to say something but stopped as she was drawn into a deep, restful sleep.

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All of those who were going were assembled at 11:58 Candracar time waiting for the portal to Abyss Space to open. Everyone other than those going, were already doing their jobs incase the forces of evil tried to pull anything. All of the Heart holders were there along with the Six Champions of Ulzbor, the Four Druids of Golias, Sandpit, Gargoyle, Varog of Arthrosia, Coordinator, Alchemy, the four Shadow Guardians, three Elemental Lords from Auras that came on Steam and Sandstorms request, and the Oracle. The Oracle was going to face his brother and he wore a strange violet gem on a golden change with the symbols of the elements on it.

"I still think you guys should go Guardian," Matt said with concern to Will, Hay Lin, Taranee, and Irma.

"I have to agree," Garret chimed in," They might try attack us immediately."

"You two know that we have a feeling that we shouldn't do that and the Oracle agreed because he saw that we shouldn't," Will said with the dream completely forgotten," That goes for you Eric and you Aldarn, as well."

"Yeah, Will's right," Taranee agreed before Eric and Aldarn could say anything," I think that we should just wait until we get there."

"It is always wise to trust in ones intuition," Sandstorm said joining the conversation.

"I agree brother, they are the Guardians and they know their powers, so I think that we should go along with them," Steam joined in.

"What's with the change of outfits?" Hay Lin asked Steam and Sandstorm. Where Steam had been were a blue green mask and belly dancer attire, the colors had now changed to an ice blue color and Sandstorms now wore a red mask and robes instead of the previous sand colored robes.

"A little trick we know," Steam said mysteriously.

"It will be shocking to say the least," Sandstorm added.

"It is time my friends," the Oracle said as a large fold opened in the main entry hall. This fold seemed very odd; it seemed to be red with swirls of black and green added in.

"This is the fold to Abyss Space?" Golem asked timidly, a hard feat to pull off when you're a giant rock creature.

"Yes," the Oracle said as he walked up to it," Remember that the rules there differ from those that we know here so be very cautious."

All forty of those going walked through the fold in single file to a place that seemed like some sort of crazily abstract dream world. The ground was flat and a strange yellow color and stretched forever in every direction. Then there was the sky; it was nothing but broiling clouds with the occasional arc of multi colored lightening. As Aldarn took a step the ground gave out beneath him and he didn't fall but just looked down, past the roughly five foot layer of earth down into the sky.

"Ahhhh!" Aldarn screamed as he jumped back onto solid earth.

"What in the hell just happened!?" Drake asked as he stepped back from the hole.

"As I said Shadow Water Guardian, the rules differ here," the Oracle said calmly," Now we must all focus on our goal and we shall meet them."

With that they all thought about Fenrir and his minions, they then felt a pull and everything blurred. When the blur stopped, they were facing Fenrir and his five goons; Caleb, Shagon, Pyros, Hurricana, and… Cornelia.

"Cornelia?!" W.I.T.H. said together.

"Hey girls, so nice to see you again," Cornelia said with her wicked smile as she flourished both her daggers.

"What have you done to her?!" Will asked Fenrir angrily.

"Nothing that she didn't want to do," Fenrir said happily. Where he had worn robes before, he now had on a suit of armor on that matched Caleb's except that his was much larger and made his body look twice as large and he now carried a large mace in each hand made of the same metal.

"Ha ha ha," a horrible booming laugh sounded. Immediately, the huge form of Crimson the Collective Abomination and his army of alternate reality beings appeared and his army of Super Crustaceataurs, minus Metal 7 and Arc.

"What trickery is this Flamel?!" Fenrir spat upon seeing the evil Guardians and the others.

"These are my minions, Night Wolf, and with them I will crush you and these pathetic heroes into the dust," Crimson said with all of his eyes moving around constantly.

"So it is true," the Oracle said to himself upon seeing the alternate reality beings," I believe that now would be the time to activate the Heart, Quintessence Guardian."

"Guardians Unite!" Will yelled as a hand grabbed onto the Heart as it activated.

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"All will be well Heart of Earth," Halinor said comfortingly to Lillian, who was being protected by Halinor, Yan Lin, Luba, and Blunk.

"What if they can't save Cornelia though?" Lillian said as she threw herself down on one of the large chairs in the room," What if something happens to her, or Matt, Mr. Huggles, and Napoleon."

"Don't worry little blondie girl, bigger blondie girl be okay, and boyfriend of Will and tasty mousie and cat be okay too," Blunk said happily.

"They know what they are doing, they will get her back," Yan Lin said in her comforting grandmother voice.

"I hope you're right," Lillian said. A huge crash sounded suddenly outside of the room.

"Halinor, you and I will go check it out," Yan Lin said as she got a nod from her friend and they left the room. Luba moved closer to Lillian and kept her eyes glued to the door. Lillian was quite frightened at the moment and it didn't help that Blunk was hiding under a small table in the room. As Luba moved towards the door when she heard a knock, she was hit on the head by Mutten, knocking her out cold.

"Time… for… lunch," the little bald, gray clad man said as he turned to face Lillian. She scrambled out of the chair as the creepy little man inched forward.

"Stay away from little blondie girl," Blunk said as he tackled Mutten, sending them both into the stone floor. Mutten turned into a mass of grey tentacles and threw poor Blunk into a wall with a loud thump, knocking the poor little guy out but not seriously injuring him.

"Time… to eat," Mutten said, once again in his human form. Lillian was once again backing away and backed into the wall behind her.

"Stay away from me!" Lillian said fearfully. Mutten just replied with a crooked smile.

"Be gone!"

Mutten went flying through the air into the shadowy corner of the room sending him back to the world of Fenrir's and the Guild's lairs. Lillian looked at the owner of the voice; it was a tall figure, wearing a royal blue cloak. The voice of the figure had the voice of many different beings, male and female. The figure walked over to Lillian who was a little frightened of… it?

"Lillian?" the figure said towering over her.

"Yes?" Lillian replied shyly and fearfully.

"Do not worry, I'm not here to harm you," the figure said as Lillian tried to see its face but couldn't," I need your help to save your sister and Caleb. Will you come with me to help them?"

"How can I help? I can't fight," Lillian asked confused.

"Love," the figure said simply.

"What do you mean?" she asked the strange figure.

"Your love for your sister and the bond you share will help to save her," the figure responded.

"I'll come with you to help her then," Lillian said determinedly.

"Good," the figure said as it turned around and the strange fold to Abyss Space opened up before them and the figure stepped through with Lillian running quickly after it. The scene they came upon was a fearsome one: the forces of evil were about to fight and Will held up the Heart, about to unite the Guardians. It was all frozen perfectly in time.

"What's wrong with them?" Lillian asked looking around," Cornelia!"

"Stop!" the figure said suddenly causing Lillian to stop and look at the figure in shock.

"Look at her though, she needs my help," Lillian said looking back at her sister.

"You cannot help her like that," the figure said," You must hold on to the Heart of Candracar and that will act as a channel for the love to free them from the spell."

"Okay," Lillian said, with a reluctant look at her sister. She walked quickly over to Will and held onto the Heart.

"Do you have a good grip on the Heart?" the figure asked.

"Yes," she said as she took a deep breath.

"Then…," the figure said as a throne that looked like gold encrusted jewels appeared (not a typo) that the figure sat down on,"… resume."

"Guardians Unite!" Will screamed as the light of the Heart shined brightly filling everyone with a warm glow of good, whether they were of the light or the dark. It drew upon the love of everyone there and went strait into the five Guardians, breaking the spell on Cornelia and freeing her from the spell and spreading to Caleb and breaking the spell on him as well and returning him to normal. The weapons they had been carrying turned to dust.

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Baron Krieg and Echo were both riding on strange giant half lizard half wolf creatures and leading a vast army of shadow tainted elementals across Meridian straight to the palace. Baron Krieg was back in his element, leading the forces of evil took him back to the Wolf Wars when he led them to victory and now he didn't even have to fear death. Echo was waiting for his chance to slip away and hoped that good could pull out a miracle.

"Halt!" Krieg yelled the order to the vast army. Ahead of them, there was a huge coalition of beings from not only Meridian, but elementals from Auras, Arthrotaurs from Arthrosia, Zamballans from Zamballa, people and Clockwork Folk from Jaxel, people from Parador, and Leosians and Harpies from Imtal as well. While the Shadow Tainted Elementals were a sizeable force easily numbering 50,000, they were matched by the warriors from the many worlds and maybe even outnumbered.

"Form the ranks," Baron Krieg yelled to his army as they made rough lines.

"_I would suggest that we use the item soon_," Echo said telepathically.

"There is no time like the present, ya?" Baron Krieg said as he reached into his saddle bags and grabbed a black stick.

"_Well_?" Echo said getting nervous.

"Ah ya, the incantation," Baron Krieg said a little befuddled in his ancient age," Darkness, darkness everywhere but not a drop to drink."

"_That's the incantation_?" Echo asked annoyed as a black flame appeared on the torch.

"Da," he said as the flames leapt into the sky, covering the land in darkness. Their elemental army became that much stronger and grew bigger to boot.

"_I think you should give the order_," Echo said looking down at the opposing army.

"Da, da," Baron Krieg said to Echo as the torch burned away and then yelled to their forces," Forces ready! Flanks in Position! Charge!!!"

The mass of shadow, air, fire, water, earth, and quintessence came roaring down upon the defenders in a great and terrible wave. Raythor merely looked on from the front lines, flanked by Julian, Tynar, and Vathek, as they came and hoped that his queen and the Guardians would come through this time like they always did.

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Things weren't going as planned in Abyss Space, but nothing ever does. Fenrir and his group were shocked to see Cornelia and Caleb had been freed from his spell. The forces of good were overjoyed to see their friends freed from Fenrir's control, except for Will who was confused to see Lillian standing in front of her. Everyone though, was confused upon seeing the blue cloaked being sitting in the gold encrusted jewel throne.

"You're the one from my dream," Will said staring at the figure.

"That is correct Heart keeper," the figure said as it stared over at Fenrir and his remaining minions were about to attack Caleb and Corny and said," Halt."

They stopped dead in their tracks, unmoving. A large hand made of what looked like grey mist about twice the size of a normal human hand appeared in front of the figure and waved once, teleporting Cornelia and Caleb over to their friends. The hand waved again, this time materializing something that looked like the Heart of Candracar in front of Caleb. This Heart was completely black, chain and all.

"Take it Shadow Keeper," the Figure said to Caleb.

"What!?" Caleb said confused after his whole turning evil ordeal.

"Take it and Unite," the figure said and no one even wanted to speak out, good or evil, because of the will of this figure.

"Shadow Guardians Unite!" Caleb shouted as he, Aldarn, Cassidy, Eric, and Drake were surrounded by dark auras and with a flash of darkness they changed. After they all wore their Shadow Guardian uniforms, which appeared to be extremely lean plate armor (minus their helmets) with the symbols of their elements on the chest and bird like wing of shadow on their backs.

"Now," the figure said," I am one of the nine most powerful beings in existence and I have come here to restore the balance of all that is. I am Balance by the way. When Nicholas Flamel summoned the beings from the alternate reality the way he did, he threatened the stability of many realities and has caused an unnatural shift in the balance of power here. Now, I have come here to… even the odds as it were and make the battle fairer with the help of my associates."

With those last words, a total of eight thrones appeared, four to either side, and then eight beings appeared and sat on those chairs.

"These are my associates," Balance said gesturing to the appropriate being in turn," Earth, Water, Fire, Wind, Quintessence, Death, Light, and Darkness."

"Now that introductions are over I must state that before the battle begins, that I must make up for my previous interference," Balance said as the mist hand waved again and next to Fenrir appeared the Shadow Knight and evil Cornelia… while Cornelia and Caleb were still next to their friends.

"Now to counter the evil beings from the Alternate realities," Balance said as folds opened all over the side of good to emit more Guardians and their allies from different realities. Some looked the same as this realities Guardians, but others had on silvery armor, huge wings, and so on and their allies ranged from Calebs and Elyons to Harry Potter and Phobos.

"Now to through in the neutral natives," Balance said as a large group of very pale, thin people appeared opposite of Balance, but not between the sides of good and evil.

"Excellent," Balance said looking over its handiwork," Now that the summonings are over, I will keep the gravity in check as well as the thought alterations but not the storms. Without any further adieu, let the battle begin."

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Arc and Metal 7 made their escape from Guild training grounds because they new their master, and they new he would get rid of them as soon as he didn't need them. They just hoped that either Fenrir or good won the fight or else they would be in deep trouble. They were going to the one place on the entire world of Charon that they new they would be safe, the Ferryman's Landing.

The Ferryman's Landing was a small peninsula on the edge of a river of water and blue fire that legends called Styx. The original inhabitants of Charon had mysteriously disappeared after their world had been unreachable for a while and only a few new their legends off of Charon. This place they were going to was a neutral place that they could hide for safety that you couldn't fight on.

"This is bad Metal 7, what if he sends one of the alternate reality beings?" Arc asked with all seventeen of his humanoid forms running along with the metal man.

"He wouldn't do that yet, he needs all of his strength to defeat Fenrir and the forces of good," Metal 7 said with a touch of annoyance in his metallic voice.

"Hello…," Mutten said appearing in front of the group.

"What!?" Metal 7 said suddenly as he stopped and drew his lead hammer and mercury whip.

"No… not an… enemy," Mutten said cowering away from the Arcs and Metal 7," Fear… the Master… because… I failed… him…badly. Running… away… or die."

"How do we know this isn't some sort of trick?" the Arcs asked together. The little man just shrugged.

"You're native to Charon, aren't you?" Metal 7 asked him and got a small nod of the little man's head," Then is the suspicion of the Heart of Charon coming to the Ferryman's Landing true?"

"Yes…" Mutten said timidly with a shiver.

"Then you're coming with us my little friend," the orange Arc said grabbing the little man's shoulder. And so the odd group set of to the Ferryman's Landing to find the Heart of Charon.

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**Preview: The actual fights, Yee-Haw!!!**


	29. Chapter 29

**Thanks to all of my reviewers, Guardian's Light (enjoy), XV-Dragon (sorry I couldn't put your fight in), DragonRaiderX9 (Right…), CCRox4Eva (Enjoy the fights), and Just another fanatic (try to read earlier and get some sleep, it's good for you). Thanks to all of my non reviewing readers too, and to all of you who are reading this and haven't reviewed even once… come on, your killin' me here.**

**Kdh. Sorry it took so long to update. I'm taking a little time off from writing chapter 30 to try another story idea I have had in mind and to recharge my batteries. I'm really sorry and apologize to all of my readers for doing this in the middle of the battle.**

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The four opposing forces, as if under Balance's complete control, charged together in an epic clash. The large group of pale people became huge, formless shapes made of shadow and attacked all of the creatures they could except for the shadow tainted elementals. Balance and his eight companions watched intently as the battle started to go into full swing.

Aurora was taking out enemies left and right with her powered up bow and Fionnaoch and Ackeron backing her up. The other five Champions and the four Druids had gone off together and were taking down all the enemies that they could reach. A shockwave suddenly hit our group of three, knocking them off their feet along with the Super Crustaceataurs, shadow tainted elemental creatures, and the shadow creatures they were fighting. They got to their feet quickly to see Oak in the middle of a rather large crater accompanied by the now gigantic Dalek with four huge laser cannons.

"She looks like a challenge," Aurora said appraisingly," We should definitely fight those two."

"You've definitely been spending too much time on Ulzbor," Fionnaoch said with a grin as he looked at his successor and thinking about how violent she had become.

"We do it together then," Ackeron said determinedly. Aurora looked him in the eyes and at that moment they felt something strong. Maybe it was the battle or Abyss space, but it was something good and strong.

"Well lovebirds," Fionnaoch said breaking up the moment and causing the two teens to blush," Shall we take down our metallic friends over there?"

"Yeah… let's go get 'em," Aurora said as they jogged towards their two enemies who turned to face this new threat.

"More inferior species," the Dalek said looking upon the new threat," Ex-Ter-Min-Ate!"

"Hold fire," Oak said as she held up a hand. She looked at them and had decided on her enemy.

"We'll be whooping your evil metallic butts now," Aurora said as the two small groups faced each other down.

"Heh," Oak snorted in contempt," Girl mine, fools yours."

"I shall obey," the Dalek responded as it aimed its five laser cannons at Fionnaoch and Ackeron. Oak immediately moved her spiked over knuckles into place and, with an amazing burst of speed, attacked Aurora with a mighty punch. When the blow landed in Aurora's stomach she disappeared in a burst of light.

"Damn Astral Drops!" Oak said with rage as she narrowly dodged a deadly energy arrow from the real Aurora.

"This is gonna hurt," Aurora said simply to a confused Oak who then got hit by the energy arrow in the back," I call that one a boomerang arrow."

"Little brat!" Oak said as the blades on her arms detached themselves and flew around Oak like a deadly swarm of flys.

"Now things are getting interesting," Aurora said as she started rapidly firing energy arrows at Oak who didn't even have to block them because the flying blades absorbed the energy.

"Payback time," Oak said happily as she cracked her knuckles.

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Hurricana was desperately trying to fend off attacks from the shadow creatures as well as avoiding the attacks from the alternate reality beings. It was then that Sandstorm and Steam stood before her and her small group of shadow tainted wind elementals.

"So we meet again," Sandstorm said grimly.

"So it would appear," Hurricana said holding up her four arms readying to attack," Attack my pets."

Together the brother and sister team dispatched the shadowy elementals with sand and steam, scattering their windy bodies to the four winds. Again they faced Hurricana who hit them with gale force winds, ripping them apart. Hurricana was shocked that it was so easy.

"That was easier than we thought it would be," Hurricana said with a smile, which turned to a frown as the twins reformed themselves.

"Don't count us out quite yet," Steam said slyly from behind her mask.

"Shall we show her our new trick sister?" Sandstorm asked.

"Lets brother."

Sandstorm and Steam started to glow and became creatures of lava and ice respectively. Together they attacked Hurricana who was too slow to attack them and barely dodged their attacks with a great leap. She then spit her webs at Sandstorm and they quickly burned away because he was, at the moment, made of lava.

"How can you turn into lava and ice?! Those are not your elements!" Hurricana said trying to buy time to think of a way to get out of this situation.

"We merely switched our Heart elements to make us more deadly," Steam said as she started firing icicles at Hurricana as well as Sandstorm started firing lava spheres.

"You insignificant fools!" Hurricana said angrily, stopping the icicles with her webs and the lava with her hurricane force winds," Now you shall see the extent of our power!"

With those words she flew into the air and the ever more dangerously swirling clouds of Abyss Space filled with its strange lightening and those clouds surrounded her, making her a huge whirlwind creature. Steam and Sandstorm looked on at their now more powerful enemy and she looked down at them. The brother and sister team knew exactly what they had to do.

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Garret was now facing the very large Nicholas Flamel along with Coordinator and Sandpit. Garret knew that he had to defeat him for his evil deeds he had done and now was his chance.

"Ah, the little prince of Jaxel," Flamel said in is eerie voice," I'll have fun destroying you and your two friends."

As the Head Chemist said it, he changed his shape into that of Mechanos, a perfect replica.

"You!" Garret said with his voice filled with rage.

"I can become any being that I have absorbed and it just happens that Mechanos is in my arsenal of beings," Flamel said as he opened his visor and released a gigantic swarm of wasps upon his foes. Garret easily burned them away, Sandpit just went whirl wind on them, and Coordinator became the half ooze creature half mechanical skeleton creature and took them out with a poisonous purple gas that he emitted from hands.

"Let's see how you do against the Ooze Kraken," Flamel said as his body morphed into the shape of a giant, green, gelatinous octopus. Garret drew Quintet Fang and sliced at Flamel's tentacles cutting them off but more came. Coordinator too was fighting the tentacles with his now bladed skeletal arm while Sandpit had to fend off three of the shadow creatures. Flamel suddenly stopped his attack and reverted into the giant, but not as big as the Ooze Kraken, Wall the Rampart Mechanic.

"Now you cannot even touch me and I have all of the powers you could possibly imagine," Flamel said in a now booming, metallic voice that was as deep as could be imagined.

"I will see you destroyed for your crimes Flamel, mark my words!" Garret yelled as the blade of his sword became five blades and he started firing elemental blasts at Flamel and moments later, Coordinator started firing energy blasts from his mechanized skeletal hand. The attacks never even touched him and were stopped by his force shield around him.

"Allow me to show you some of my other tricks," Flamel said as he lifted his left hand and it became Mecha Wolf and fired a barrage of missiles at Garret and Coordinator. The duo could barely fend off the attack and Flamel wasn't done yet.

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Fenrir was flanked by his Shagon, Shadow Knight, Cornelia, and a large group of shadow tainted elementals. Immediately they were met in battle by W.I.T.C.H., the Shadow Guardians, the Oracle, Alchemy, Aria, and Crone. Lillian was surrounded by the Regents and her big sister for her own protection. The two groups faced each other down, ready to attack at a moments notice.

"The Oracle and the Guardians are mine," Fenrir said to his minions loud enough for our heroes to clearly hear," Shagon, I want you to destroy the Heart of Earth, and the Shadow Knight and Cornelia will destroy the remaining three."

"No we won't," Shadow Knight said.

"What?!" Fenrir said in disbelief that his servant would disagree with him.

"We don't obey you anymore wolf boy," Cornelia said with her wicked smile," While we are still evil, we're evil on our own terms."

This shocked both sides to the core that they too had the spell upon them broken. Their appearances had changed as well with their weapons losing their wolf's head pommels only to find them replaced by seven pointed stars and the Shadow Knight's armor losing it's wolf theme to have it become decorated in the seven pointed star symbol. On close inspection of the pupils of them both one would also notice that they too had changed to the seven pointed star.

"You filthy traitors!" Fenrir spat at them both.

"True I suppose, but we have no interest in fighting you," the Shadow Knight said as he looked at the forces of good," We have no interest in fighting you either."

"We have eyes only for our buddy Shagon," Cornelia said flourishing her twin daggers.

"Then I will reabsorb the Shadow Earth Auramere traitor," Fenrir said and he did just that. With a flash of dark green light the Shadow Earth Auramere flew into Fenrir making him all the more deadly.

"No matter," the Shadow Knight said as he stood up a little shakily," I can still destroy Shagon."

"Bring it on, I'll destroy her first and then you shadow boy!" Shagon said as they went off to fight their own battle. Fenrir on the other hand had to face down our heroes four Hearts to four Shadow Aurameres.

"This should be… interesting," Fenrir mused as he faced our heroes down and summoned to him an army of earth and quintessence shadow tainted elementals.

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"Hello ssssissster," Pyros said as he came crashing over to Elyon.

"You two," she said angrily looking at Pyros.

"We will enjoy dessstroying you for what you did to usss you little pessst," Pyros hissed as he lifted his six arms and fired a huge river of flames at Elyon. He laughed hysterically as he did it but when he stopped he let out a roar of rage. Beside her and helping her hold up a magical protection barrier, was Dorian.

"Now it's time to stop you once and for all," Dorian said as he drew his lute and started to play a cheery little tune.

"Songs won't save you here boy!" Pyros said as he summoned a large group of shadow fire elementals to him," Attack!"

Elyon then had to fend off the large group of elementals and Pyros focused on attacking Dorian who was barely holding him off. Pyros fired more fireballs than could be counted and finally managed to move in and strike at Dorian with his huge, fiery fist sending him back. Instantly, a large group of the shadow creatures surrounds him and Pyros is attacked by two bat like shadow creatures as well. Elyon blasts the group of elementals away and runs to Dorian. The creatures see her coming but are dispersed as Elyon releases a shining light upon them and even destroying the closest ones.

"Dorian, are you alright?" Elyon asked as she kneeled beside him. She looked at the burnt clothing and the burns on his left side and arm.

"I'll survive," he said gritting his teeth from the pain," But for now I won't be able to fight so I give you my Heart."

He said this as he grabbed her right hand in his own and transferred the Heart of Parador to Elyon. Pyros gave another mighty roar as he burned away one of the shadow creatures and there were now several others attacking him on the ground as well.

"Go and take him down Elyon, I'll be alright," Dorian said with a smile.

"I can't just leave you here, you don't have any powers and you're injured," Elyon said frantically.

"I'll take care of him," Varog said coming out of the fray coming to help his injured allies.

"Alright…," Elyon said as she got up and walked towards Pyros as Varog started wrapping Dorian's wounds in his own webbing. Pyros had destroyed two more of the shadow creatures and the rest had scattered as he now faced Elyon.

"Where'ssss your little boyfriend?" Pyros asked with false concern and a smirk," We didn't hurt him did we?"

"He'll be fine, but I can't say the same for you," she said in a low angry voice.

"We shall ssssee," Pyros said as he summoned to his side a group of shadow fire elementals," Now you will die."

Pyros again fired a stream of fire at Elyon and his elementals charged, but Elyon raised her hands slowly and fired a blast of light, directly at Pyros and it hit the elementals, destroying them immediately. The two attacks hit each other, creating a kind of tug-of-war between them of shadowy fire and light energy.

"Sssso he gave you his Heart?" Pyros said laboriously trying to hold off the attack," We will destroy you in the end. You should give up now and save yourself the trouble."

"You first," she said putting everything she had into her attack.

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Somehow in the chaos of the initial charge, Golem, Ironwood, and Gargoyle had come face to face with Rimmer Dall, a strange man with golden skin, a gigantic mogriff and morphan, and one big Annihilator. Our three heroes did not like these odds. Just then, the group of alternate reality evil Guardians, Evil Elyon, and Evil Caleb blasted through a group of shadow tainted elementals and shadow creatures to join the fight.

"Ooh look, it's Ironwood," evil Taranee said with an evil grin and then turned to the other alternate reality beings," I burned Zamballa to the ground in my reality."

"Same here," evil Elyon agreed," Gargoyle and the Heart of Aridia as well. Let's turn them into dust."

Evil Elyon blasted at the trio with a massive energy beam. It never touched our heroes. Five of the good alternate reality Guardians had stepped in and they all looked like standard Guardians except they had feathered wings and wore silvery uniforms.

"Are you alright?" asked the Will of that group of Guardians to Ironwood and the others.

"We're okay," Golem replied.

"Good," said the Taranee of another group of Guardians that had just flown up. This group of Guardians seemed to have more of a high tech theme.

"There are twelve super powered evil guys versus us," said an Elyon with a third group of Guardians and they all had a tough look to them," I like these odds."

"Are you three with us," asked the techie Hay Lin.

"Of course Guardian," Ironwood said immediately.

"Oh yeah," Golem said while cracking his giant knuckles.

"Uh…" Gargoyle said looking from the Guardians to the enemies.

"Right," said the tough Irma," Why don't you smash some of the… other enemies?"

"Sounds like a plan," Gargoyle rumbled as the Alternate Reality beings started battling along with Golem and Ironwood and Gargoyle went off on his own smashing shadow tainted elementals and the strange shadow creatures.

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**Preview: More fights, what did you think was gonna happen?**

**Check out my bio for a laugh and please support my new product, Bacon Flavored Band-Aids: The one time you wouldn't mind finding a Band-Aid in your food.**


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